


To Shreds & Shards

by Remembrance



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Amnesia, Dark Fantasy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ensemble Cast, Kings & Queens, M/M, Magic, Military, Mystery, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-06-10 23:25:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 89,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15302346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remembrance/pseuds/Remembrance
Summary: One to Fourteen—they are numbered. They are elites with advanced magic and heightened senses, a feat of arcana and science. The price for such power? Their memories. Hinata doesn’t know who he is, or why he’s fighting this war, but he knows he’s different than the rest. He knows he is something, someone, that should not exist… that should have never existed.





	1. Tenacity

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!! God I'm so excited about this fic I can't even explain it. I haven't had a chance to dive into dark fantasy in a long time, and this fic is really a culmination of that desire. I have a weekly update schedule, where I post one fic/update/chapter every weekend (this fic will update alternatingly with my sci-fi HQ fic, so once every two weeks), but I've been a bit behind. I'm catching up, though, so that's exciting! 
> 
> But, tbh... Beta readers are the unsung heroes of fanfic, and I love them. Shoutout to Nikooki (check out their art: [twitter](https://twitter.com/nikooki_kyuu/) / [tumblr](http://nikooki.tumblr.com/)) and Snow (check out their fics: [AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sondeneige)) for still being my friend after I said "Hey, wanna to beta 9k in 2 days?" Bless all beta readers. I love all of you. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> Please enjoy this fic though!!
> 
> * * *

 Amidst black storm clouds, the airship flew at a curved angle—Its dark wood body was framed by silver mythril. Lightweight and maneuverable, the Silver Eagle was (according to the ship’s captain) the greatest warship in the entire Valentia army. Perhaps the world. The Silver Eagle was second to only one vessel: Though the Gold Eagle had more firepower, the Silver took pride in maneuverability and speed that could not be outmatched.   
   
 It was powered by an arcane core that used raw magic without any element, unlike most ships that ran on thunder and wind. And, unlike most other ships, the airship was not held high by a central balloon-shaped cavity filled with hot air, but by whirling propellers pointed upwards and also using silver flame jets to move itself forward.   
   
 The deck was open, like a boat, and atop the deck— _they_  stood.   
   
 From below, cannon blasts and magic below flooded the clouds with ash and fire, while rippling sound waves found their way high and above.   
   
 Paces away from where  _they_  stood, the captain of the ship scoffed. “I don’t trust them,” he said simply. “They are broken, hollow shells.”   
   
 His superior, a stone-faced man with his arms crossed, nodded slowly. “I do not disagree with you, Goshiki… but the Queen has ordered it.”   
   
 Goshiki bit his lip roughly, keeping his head down.   
   
 His superior stepped forward, towards  _them_  and raised his voice, “Are you ready?”   
   
 The fourteen of  _them_  looked back at him. They wore cloaks of a dirty white, with a soft red trim around the hood that covered their heads. They also had designs on their backs, ancient symbols of power, in a deeper red. Their leggings were dark leather, as were their undershirts. They seemed indistinguishable, except for height and the symbols on their backs.   
   
 One of them removed her hood.   
   
 The superior paused for a moment.   
   
 Even Goshiki gasped.   
   
 Shimizu Kiyoko adjusted her glasses with an arm that had its sleeve tugged down by the action, revealing the ancient symbol for Twelve on her forearm. “At attention.”   
   
 They turned to her.   
   
 “This is our first assignment as a squad,” she spoke with the authority of her past life. “While this gives us the advantage… as our enemies do not know us, we must be cautious. Because our enemies are not the only ones who will know us today—so will our allies. This is a chance for us to prove ourselves, to earn honour, and build trust.”   
   
 One of them nodded.   
   
 “We are nobodies, and we’ve come from nowhere… Our duty lies forwards, before us.” She paused for a moment. “We are the Fires of Valentia.” She turned towards the bow of the ship, to the burning battlefield below. “The enemy nations have used their armies to create an unjust attack. We thirteen were entrusted to defend these lands.”   
   
 Goshiki frowned.   
   
 His superior finally spoke up, “Fourteen.”   
   
 Kiyoko looked behind her, eyes widening ever so slightly.   
   
 “Fourteen,” their superior repeated, “You are fourteen. Not thirteen.”   
   
 “Yes,” Kiyoko murmured, eyes drifting to a certain member.   
   
 All their eyes drifted to a certain member.   
   
 Hidden under his cloak, the boy with orange hair made himself look smaller.   
   
 Kiyoko shook her head slightly, shaking off the startled look. “We will change the battle formation slightly. Sugawara, you will lead the second stealth team.”   
   
 Sugawara – marked as Six – blinked. “Me? Not Kageyama?”   
   
 The orange haired boy marked Fourteen glanced to a taller soldier, marked One – Kageyama – who seemed upset, but held his tongue.   
   
 “Yes,” Kiyoko spoke at last. “Seven, Nine, and Ten will be moving West. Your squad, One, Six, and Fourteen, will be moving East. You, Sugawara, will be able to react to our… newest member, with more ease.”   
   
 The orange haired boy tilted his head.   
   
 Kageyama frowned, but nodded slightly. As he did, it seemed to relax Sugawara, who gave a nod as well.   
   
 Kiyoko looked at them all. “The rest of the plan stays the same – we strike for her majesty, the Queen of Fire!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama felt the thrill of wind. He surged downwards in a move that would kill any human, perhaps even gods. Throwing himself off an airship was not something his powers could save him from, but he was not alone.   
   
 Sugawara closed his eyes and silently sung to the winds.   
   
 And the winds obeyed as if Sugawara was the High Thane of Winds himself.   
   
 Kageyama had finally learned to trust; but, even so, he kept glancing to Sugawara – to make sure his concentration of the spell had not broken.   
   
 The two of them surged through black clouds and in an instant the battlefield opened before them. Thousands of soldiers were vaulting arrows and magic bolts, cannonfire, spells, at each other. They blasted downwards, like an invisible spear from the heavens. Sugawara raised his voice, eyes snapping open. “Get ready!”   
   
 Kageyama nodded. “As we practiced.”   
   
 “As we practiced!” Sugawara smirked, just before they hit the ground.   
   
 A  _blastwave_  erupted, like a flash tornado, pulling their enemies off the ground in all directions and throwing them aside like ragdolls.   
   
 But other soldiers advanced at them, as did the strange looking beasts the army was using.   
   
 Kageyama opened his hand to form a circle and a surge of magic threw his cloak in the air. A small sphere of hot white radiance formed between his hands and he broke it open—spearing cords of blue light outwards. Each string flew between enemies, spiking through them and flying on.   
   
 The enemies yelled.   
   
 Kageyama spun, moving his hands, and the cords weaved at his command, slicing through the faceless soldiers.   
   
 One of the beasts growled and jumped over a cord before ducking under another, and threw itself at Kageyama from behind.   
   
 Kageyama’s breathing hitched as he tried to spin back, but—   
   
 A scythe.   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened.   
   
 Fourteen – the one marked Fourteen – was midair with scythe, tearing through the enemy.   
   
 For a moment, Kageyama thought the blade of the scythe was covered in the beast’s blood, but the beast did not bleed. While the scythe’s handle was black, the curved metal was the same faded red as their cloaks.   
   
 Fourteen spun and released a black and red blast of magic to slaughter four soldiers as he landed. As soon as he hit the ground, he was gone, having launched himself to another crowd.   
   
 Kageyama murmured, “I forgot he was here.”   
   
 “Me too!” Sugawara chuckled as he threw seven knives into the wind, letting them slice whatever they sliced. “How are you doing there, uh…?”   
   
 “Hinata.” He landed and sliced two more. “We’re behind enemy lines?”   
   
 Kageyama scoffed. “Of course!”   
   
 “I led us here,” Sugawara explained. “Our job is to move behind the lines and secure this area for our advancing army, to relieve pressure.”   
   
 “Oh.” Hinata paused for a moment. “No one told me, but—” He sliced three soldiers in one strike. “Makes sense, I guess!”   
   
 Kageyama whipped his cords into more of those beasts and frowned. “They’re retreating. Should we chase or move back?”   
   
 Sugawara hummed. “Yeah. Let’s move back.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata was, well, confused—to say the least! He followed his orders effortlessly, but he didn’t know why he was doing this. Valentia was their country right? He thought so anyway. Something about a queen? He must’ve missed the mission briefing. Who were they even fighting?   
   
 Screaming.   
   
 Kageyama and Sugawara were standing over a Valentia soldier.   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 Other soldiers were kneeling beside him.   
   
 They must be in the same unit, Hinata mused, as he noticed they wore the same badge.   
   
 Friends?   
   
 “What’s wrong?” Sugawara asked quietly. “What is this?”   
   
 “We don’t know! We… we don’t know…”   
   
 Hinata walked over and looked at the wound from above one of the kneeling soldiers.   
   
 On the man’s shoulder there was a cloud of black and red mist, swirling, almost as if it was eating his flesh, and the man screamed.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened. He raised his hand and opened his palm.   
   
 Four blood red cords formed between the wound and Hinata’s hand.   
   
 They all turned to look at him.   
   
 Hinata blinked once and  _yanked._    
   
 The man screamed—but paused. He blinked his crying eyes and gasped. He stared at his shoulder; which, despite his armour being torn, was flawless.   
   
 Hinata opened his hand, gathering the black and red mist just a small space above his palm.   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed. “What is that? What did you do?”   
   
 “Death.” Hinata stared unblinking at the mist. “The enemy is using forbidden spells… Death magic.” With a small shift in his hand, the orb of mist fell into his hand, and he squished it. There was a flow of magic over his form as he absorbed it, and he frowned. “If the enemy is using this kind of stuff, we’re in trouble… very few people can like, actually fight Death.”   
   
 Sugawara stiffened.   
   
 Kageyama’s frown deepened into a scowl.   
   
 Hinata looked at them but quickly turned to glance around. “Looks like this guy wasn’t the only one hit by the spell…” Across the battlefield, about six or seven other soldiers were screaming in pain. “Go ahead. It won’t take me long! I’ll catch up, okay?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama was silent for most of the advance. Even with Sugawara’s wind pushing them forward, he felt like they weren’t moving fast enough. Maybe he was just agitated? He was a man who usually stuck to silence, so maybe the urge to talk was confusing him? He frowned. “Death magic.”   
   
 Sugawara shook his head. “Never heard of it.”   
   
 “I have. As a concept.” Kageyama bit his lip. “But I’ve never seen it…”   
   
 “Death.” Sugawara hummed. “Besides you, Kageyama, all thirteen of us have an element… or, er. Fourteen?”   
   
 “Fourteen,” Kageyama said in disbelief. “Three years, I don’t have one memory of a fourteenth person.”   
   
 “Well,” Sugawara murmured, “He doesn’t have any memories either, so I think he is one of us.”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed. “What did Daishou do?”   
   
 “Chancellor Suguru?” Sugawara bit his lip, shrugging. “I have no idea…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata yanked the mist out of four soldiers at once, and took the magic for himself. He let Death surge inside him and he kind of didn’t mind? It made his body feel hot then cold then hot then cold and that was actually really annoying, but after that he felt pretty refreshed. He grabbed his scythe and kept going.   
   
 He passed by a few more groups of people. Some were camps of Valentia soldiers, who he pulled the magic from. Others were soldiers of the other nations—Rodzina and Chhal, from what he gathered—and he showed them no quarter as instructed. He tore through their ranks with ease.   
   
 Their arrows and spells deflected off his whirling scythe, and their heads hit the rocky earth, adding their bloodstains to those that had already painted the white stones.   
   
 He paused, only once, and glanced to the sky.   
   
 The rolling storm clouds were such a black that they seemed almost like a dark being, but he could feel no magic there. The only magic was from airships that passed above before they were inevitably shot down. He couldn’t see the Silver Eagle, but he doubted it had been taken out since it flew above the clouds. That Goshiki-guy, the captain of the ship, seemed oddly reliable.   
   
 Then of course, there was their superior on the ship too.   
   
 Ushijima.   
   
 Hinata frowned, because he didn’t particularly like the way Ushijima looked at him, like he was some pungent dirt.   
   
 “Twelve speaking.”   
   
 Hinata reached in his pocket and pulled out a stone. Its sigil glowed and he heard,   
   
 “We’ve swept across the battlefields and achieved all of the objectives. Get in position, and let’s end this fight. Now.”   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 The stone’s sigil darkened.   
   
 “Get in position?” Hinata tilted his head. “For what?”   
   
 The stone didn’t answer him.   
   
 He threw it back in his pocket and sighed. He began running forward, not knowing what he had to do, but he figured he should get close to Sugawara and Kageyama so he could figure that out.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kiyoko kept her hood down as she dismissed her bow, quiver, and arrow – letting them fade into speckles of gold light. She took a deep breath and an intricate magic circle with many lines and patterns formed below her feet. She closed her eyes. “Let’s begin, Yamaguchi.”   
   
 Yamaguchi nodded as he also closed his eyes. He focused all his magic into a single spell and felt the earth rumble between his feet, having no doubt both armies as a whole would feel it as well. “Let’s start the summoning.”   
   
 Kiyoko raised her hands into the sky, and a pillar of light erupted from her magic circle to the sky.   
   
 Yamaguchi only raised one hand, but the beam of brilliant gold moved to the heavens. “All together now…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 On a high Cliffside, near the western side of the battlefield, four units of their squad stopped their battle for only a second. They quickly cleared the area, and moved together towards the cliff. Their uniforms were all were identical, except the shortest one who wore a smooth white mask. It had the face of the comedy and tragedy masks—if the face had absolutely no expression.   
   
 The shortest one spoke in a quiet, muffled voice, “We’re starting it already?”   
   
 “Guess so,” said the one marked Four. “I thought you’d be happy, Kitten.”   
   
 Eleven murmured, “Don’t call me that, Kuro… Why would I be happy?”   
   
 “Well.” Kuroo smirked. “Less work.”   
   
 Eleven hummed a little, neither confirming nor denying.   
   
 Kuroo smirked in victory.   
   
 Following closely behind, the one marked Five turned to Two. “Did you hear that, Akaashi? Kuroo calls him Kitten. Isn’t that cute?”   
   
 “I have no opinion on the matter, Bokuto.”   
   
 “Wait! If we can call him Kitten, can we call you Owlet?”   
   
 “Again, I have no opinion on the matter, Bokuto.”   
   
 “Owlet!” Bokuto threw his hands in the air. “We’ve got a kitten and an owlet! And a bedhead!”   
   
 “Hey!”   
   
 “Wait.” Bokuto looked around. “What am I?”   
   
 Eleven, very quietly, murmured, “A loudmouth.”   
   
 Bokuto’s jaw dropped.   
   
 Akaashi scoffed, and Kuroo roared a loud laugh.   
   
 “Mm, I was.” Eleven hummed again. His voice sounded happier as he spoke, “Just teasing, Five.”   
   
 “Hmm.” Bokuto pouted, though it was hard to keep himself from smiling. “Hey, I’m sorry I’m loud, Kitten, but. Uh. You don’t mind, right?”   
   
 Eleven shook his head.   
   
 “And you, Bedhead?”   
   
 “Not a chance, Bo.”   
   
 “Owlet?”   
   
 Akaashi glanced to the side, hiding the faint blush that formed on his cheeks. “Please tell me you were kidding with the nickname…”   
   
 Eleven looked over his shoulder; and, despite the mask, Akaashi knew he was probably  _smirking_  under there.   
   
 Akaashi cleared his throat. “We have a war to get back to.”   
   
 “Right.” Kuroo smacked his hands together and formed a magic circle. Bokuto pumped his fists and concentrated, also creating a circle. While Akaashi murmured a quiet spell to do so, Eleven created his circle in complete silence and without movement.   
   
 Four beams shot up, joining the others in the clouds.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata watched as Kageyama and Sugawara contributed to the summoning. He frowned, not really finding any place to… insert himself? A summoning required multiple people working together; but, for so many magics to work as one, the summoning sigil had to have a space for each person.   
   
 Whoever was leading the summoning spell, Kiyoko probably, had only created thirteen spaces, and the summoning circle was soon filled by each member of their squad.   
   
 Except Hinata.   
   
 Hinata hung back, watching as the clouds seemed to roll together and a flash of light took to the sky.   
   
 An egg-like shape was formed from their magics, twice as tall and wide as a person. But instead of a shell, its outer layer was formed by feathers.   
   
 Wings, Hinata realised. They were wings, folded over.   
   
 And the wings parted, blasting light in all directions.   
   
 Hinata shielded his eyes. “So this is a summon…”   
   
 Nohebi.   
   
 He didn’t know how, but he knew its name.   
   
 An angel-like figure with burning green eyes opened its many sets of white wings and grabbed its staff. The staff had two snakes swirling around it, and the summon released a roar, blasting magic in every direction.   
   
 Hinata was content watching—until a hand clasped his shoulders.   
   
 “Why don’t you aid them, Shouyou?”   
   
 Hinata glanced behind him.   
   
 Chancellor Suguru Daishou wore a white robe with silver pauldrons. Holy symbols and arcane artefacts hung from his form, adding hues of light brown and faint reds to his outfit. His eyes were dangerously narrowed and he smirked. “You’ve gathered enough Death, haven’t you?”   
   
 Hinata blinked and turned to his hand. He opened his palm, feeling the energy circulate beneath him. “Add it to the summoning?”   
   
 Daishou smiled slyly.   
   
 Hinata raised his hand and a magic circle formed underneath him.   
   
 Daishou let go of Hinata, stepping back as to not disrupt the spell.   
   
 Nohebi  _screamed._    
   
 All across the battlefield, the thirteen that were contributing to the spell felt their connection disrupt only for a moment.   
   
 Spikes of black and red pierced Nohebi’s body from the inside out. It pulsated, spasmed, and shivered. More wings burst from its back and its form grew, light shining brighter. His staff expanded and the golden orb at the top released a circle of sunfire across the battlefield.   
   
 Valentia soldiers who lay dead were engulfed in the flame, until they lifted their bodies from the floor and stood. Alive.   
   
 Soldiers of Chhal and soldiers of Rodzina who stood with weapon in hand were engulfed in flame, until their screams went silent and they disappeared. Dead.   
   
 Nohebi roared as it surged with power.   
   
 The battlefield stood silent, knowing this was just the beginning.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The capital city of Valentia… Though many of its cities and towns had been destroyed and overtaken by the enemy nations, and some were still occupied, the Royal City had been untouched. The fourteen of them knew it was their actions that had pushed the enemy army back before they arrived here.   
   
 The Royal City.   
   
 The fourteen of them, led by their Commander, Ushijima Wakatoshi, walked down the single paved white road that led to the palace, to the throne. All around them, people were cheering, screaming their thank you’s, and throwing petals down all around them from the seats and stands above.   
   
 Hinata looked up, catching one of the flower petals. “What’s this?”   
   
 “Valentia flower petals,” murmured Eight. “They’re a type of orange-coloured rose that only grow in the Fire Kingdom.”   
   
 Hinata stared at the flower petal, an orange that was only slightly yellower than his hair.   
   
 “Keep your hood on, Fourteen.”   
   
 Hinata glanced at Eight. “Why?”   
   
 “It will… cause confusion.”   
   
 “Confusion?” Hinata squinted. “You… know who I am?”   
   
 “No. But I know who you are  _not.”_    
   
 Eight. Hinata stared at his face. If the rumours he had heard were true, Eight – or Shirabu Kenjirou – was the only one in their unit who still had memory of who they were in their previous life. Hinata looked away for a moment, looking around at the city.   
   
 Valentia.   
   
 From the white stone architecture to the flowing clothes of their fashion… Hinata had no memory of this place. He felt nothing. Though he knew he had no memory – at all – he figured he would feel  _something_  if he had been here before.   
   
 Valentia, Hinata realised, was not his home.   
   
  _So why am I fighting their war?_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 They marched past the crowds, into the royal halls. The guards saluted them, hands slamming against their hearts, and let them pass – door after door – until they opened two gargantuan doors, revealing an even more gargantuan room.   
   
 The throne room.   
   
 High ceilings of gold and bronze were different from the white floors, and braziers of fire illuminated their coppery shine, reflecting it everywhere in the halls.   
   
 The throne itself was made of bronze and gold metals, with two pillars of fire flanking the person who sat on the throne.   
   
 Ushijima took in a deep breath, smiling for a moment, before saying, “Your Majesty—”   
   
 “Report,” came the curt reply of a man standing beside the woman on the throne.   
   
 Ushijima glared, lowering his head ever so slightly.   
   
 Suguru Daishou smirked in return, raising his chin.   
   
 “At ease,” the queen spoke softly. “Lord Ushijima.”   
   
 “Yes, Your Majesty?”   
   
 “You are dismissed.”   
   
 Ushijima’s eyes widened. “Majesty—”   
   
 “We will speak,” her quiet voice interjected, “I promise.”   
   
 Ushijima’s shoulders relaxed.   
   
 “But for now, I must speak to them.” Her eyes softened. “Thank you, Sky Captain Goshiki, for allowing us to use the Silver Eagle. You are also dismissed.”   
   
 Goshiki slammed his fist into his heart. “Yes, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty! All hail Queen of Fire, Yachi Hit—”  
   
 Ushijima turned to leave, tugging Goshiki with him.   
   
 Their footsteps echoed in the halls, until the doors closed behind them.   
   
 Daishou crossed his arms, still smirking. “Well done.”   
   
 Everyone else in the unit seemed to look at Daishou with respect, or, almost, reverence? Hinata raised an eyebrow as he looked around, not understanding it. It was only then he noticed Daishou was looking directly at him.   
   
 “Did they use Death magic?”   
   
 Hinata stiffened. “Yes.”   
   
 “As I expected.” He turned to the Queen. “Your Majesty?”   
   
 She nodded.   
   
 Daishou turned with a flutter of his cloak and walked to a room behind the throne, leaving them.   
   
 Queen of Fire, Yachi Hitoka, took in a deep breath. She wore a long, vermillion dress that flowed past her ankles and red heels. Her blonde hair was tied in a loose updo, tilted to the right, giving elegant waves and flow to her hair. Her hair was adorned with a hairclip in the shape of a red paper fan on the left side. Though she wore only a simple ruby pendant around her neck, her wrist on the left hand had several bangles of bracelets of silver and gold. Her ankles also had small chain anklets of silver.   
   
 The fourteen of them stood, silent except for the crackle of the braziers.   
   
 “You’ve all awakened from your crystal stasis, at last.” Yachi smiled, putting a hand softly to her heart. “Three years… You’ve given blood, sweat, tears… the fourteen of you.”   
   
 Hinata tensed as he felt a few people glance his way.   
   
 “Thank you.” Her smile was small but vibrant, like a shy little girl who didn’t want to admit she was happy. “I know we stand at a strange place… this must feel as though this is the first time you’re meeting me… but… I met with each one of you, many times. You told me your stories, your memories, your places… it was a hard thing to do, to give that all up. I can imagine you might even feel lost or empty right now.”   
   
 Hinata nodded slightly.   
   
 “Many of you had doubts before we began this project, before I named you my Fires of Valentia, and I have no doubt that those doubts will resurface.” Her eyes softened. “Some of you have left behind little recordings, writings, and if you speak to me I may help. I won’t always be able to deal with you personally, but until we reclaim Valentia’s lost lands – I will be working closely with you all.”   
   
 A few of them widened their eyes in surprise.   
   
 “I know you don’t know me,” Yachi said, “But I trust each of you. I look forward to your contributions… Thank you.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 One of the guards was instructed to lead them out of the throne room, and out of the palace. They went to a nearby building that seemed newly constructed and went up the stairs. The guard dismissed himself after giving them each a key.   
   
 “We’re in the military barracks,” Yamaguchi spoke up. “Well, near it anyway. Are these our rooms?”   
   
 “We must sleep somewhere,” Akaashi murmured. “None of us remember where our homes are.”   
   
 “Suites, probably.” Kuroo tilted his head. “They look pretty big to just be single rooms.”   
   
 The crowd of them began to disperse, each one heading either left to go further along, or right to go around the building.   
   
 The first unit was labelled 14, and the second was labelled 1. As it went to the right there was 2, and 3, and so on.   
   
 Hinata looked at Kageyama, his neighbour. “Why is my room here, and not next to Thirteen’s?”   
   
 Kageyama looked at him. “I’m guessing it belonged to our Commander, but they switched him out for you.” He walked to his door. “Because they probably added you after.”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 Kageyama opened his door and stepped in. “It’s probably bigger than the rest,” he pointed out, before closing the door.   
   
 Hinata looked at his key, and then the room in front of him.   
   
 What did Kageyama mean, Hinata wondered, by adding him after?   
   
  _Why do they all consider me an outcast?_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama stepped into his… home? Apartment? Barrack? He had no idea what to call this place. It was nicer than he’d expected though. The kitchen was small, but with two sinks, a stove, oven, and every other household kind of item he figured he would need. He hummed and moved a hand through his hair, taking a moment just to…   
   
 Just to exist.   
   
 He blinked once, twice.   
   
 He thought about where he was, and the meeting with the Queen. He didn’t know what to make of Yachi Hitoka, but he felt as though he respected her. He wondered if that was a tail message of his life before… Well, before… this.   
   
 Kageyama frowned.   
   
 He couldn’t remember.   
   
 He couldn’t remember a damn thing.   
   
 Kageyama shook those thoughts from his mind. He explored his small place, finding a small bathroom with a shower at the end of the short hall. He took a deep breath and began to strip.   
   
 Once under the running hot water, his mind felt both full and empty, in a relaxing way.   
   
 Nothing, he could remember nothing.   
   
 Kageyama shut the water off, and stepped out. He dried himself and frowned as he walked to his bedroom. Opening the cupboards, he saw clothes. They were all the same, military uniforms – of different kinds. Uniforms for combat, for formal events, for regular events… He hadn’t exactly expected to see his old clothes (not that he would have recognised them), but there was something… depersonalising, about these clothes.   
   
 “I wasn’t in the military before,” he realised.   
   
 That was right—if he had been, then this sight would feel comfortable maybe? Usual? Normal?   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes twitched and he tried to remember  _something_  to save his mind from the void it felt like, but.   
   
 Nothing.   
   
 Finding a pair of more casual clothes, Kageyama slipped on a soft black shirt and a pair of boxers. He checked the time and decided it was time for bed, anyway. It had been a long day, and from what he remembered, it was possibly his first day back in existence after… three years?   
   
 Was that it? Had they stopped existing for three years?   
   
 But he had memories, memories of learning his teammate’s names, their combat styles, elements, what made them smile, what angered them… He wasn’t particularly close to any of them, to be honest. But he liked them. They were a team.   
   
 Kageyama frowned.   
   
 He couldn’t remember specifics about the training.   
   
 Kageyama scowled.   
   
 He could barely remember when or where he’d learned their names.   
   
 But.   
   
 Fourteen. Hinata Shouyou.   
   
 Kageyama looked up at the ceiling.  _He,_  he thought to himself,  _He is an abnormality._    
   
 He sighed.   
   
 Kageyama shook those thoughts from his mind and closed the curtains, descending the room into darkness. He moved to the bed and tugged the sheets. Soon enough, he rested his head on the pillow and pulled the blankets close. It was soft, he realised. The bed was soft, softer than he had ever lived through; and, despite it being a new environment, his mind lulled easily into sleep.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Valentia soldiers, charging at him—Kageyama only growled. His black tattered robe flailed with the winds from his spells. Kageyama blasted a bolt of air that threw the soldiers off the narrow passage of the city’s wall. With a movement of his hand, tracing an arcane rune, the wind twisted into fire and burst outwards.  
   
 “Get him!”   
   
 Kageyama cocked his head and spewed acid from his fingers.   
   
 They screamed.   
   
 Kageyama looked over his shoulder, seeing more soldiers charging at him.   
   
 “For the Queen!” they shouted, “For Her Majesty!”   
   
 Kageyama spun and released volts of lightning, making them seizure in place, rattling in their own armor like ragdolls. “That bitch can burn for all I care…”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes snapped open.   
   
 Morning.   
   
 Beams of muted sunlight passed through the curtains, and his breathing stilled. He rose from the bed slowly, not needing to blink to adjust to the sunlight. His blue eyes looked around the room, remembering where he was, and remembering—   
   
 The dream.   
   
 No, it was too clear to be a dream.   
   
 Kageyama blinked.   
   
 A memory?   
   
 He slipped out of his bed, got dressed, and gathered all the things he needed. He wore his cloak a regular uniform and stepped out of his room. He paused just as he exited the front door, looking up at the bright sun. He turned away from it and felt like this was familiar in some way? He couldn’t figure out what it was that was familiar, but it was.   
   
 He walked to the main building, and entered a room where he saw a few others in his uniform.   
   
 Breakfast?   
   
 It was a larger room, with tables covered in white cloth. In the centre of the room there were fruit platters, and silver trays of cold sliced meats. There were many breads, croissants, as well as bowls of small yogurt cups with strawberries, kiwis, and cereal flakes overtop. To the side, there were two heated containers, labelled with coffee or hot water, for tea.   
   
 Kageyama felt  _bitter._  Was this what the palace enjoyed daily?   
   
 Disgusting.   
   
 Still, his stomach grumbled, and so he grabbed a plate of food and a cup of coffee, black, opting not to use the chilled sweet cream another member of their unit was raving about.   
   
 There were tables off to the side, most taken. One only had one other person, and Kageyama decided that would be the quietest.   
   
 “Good morning, Kageyama.”   
   
 Kageyama just nodded.   
   
 Akaashi Keiji was Number Two, and he made for good silent company. That much, Kageyama remembered. Occasionally, Akaashi unintentionally beckoned louder company to flock to him, but it seemed like this was not one of those days.   
   
 Kageyama sipped his coffee.   
   
 Akaashi hummed and looked skywards, to the chandeliers hanging above. “This war is quite an issue.”   
   
 “It’s war.”   
   
 Akaashi cracked a smile. “I meant… compared to other wars.” He sat up a bit and crossed his arms loosely over his crossed legs. “We have been stripped of our memory, so I reviewed historical records – to compare this war, to truly understand its extent.”   
   
 Kageyama glanced sidelong at him.   
   
 “The four nations – Valentia of Fire, Rodzina of Water, Woede of Wind, and Chhal of Earth – have signed international peace treaties. Although there have been scuffles here and there, there has not been an actual war for a long time. Sometimes, two countries would engage in warfare, but the international treaty would force the other two to break it up.”   
   
 “Is that going to happen here?”   
   
 “Unlikely.” Akaashi’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not just Chhal who has attacked us, but Rodzina as well. Their attack was swift and calculated. They took us by surprise, and we’ve lost much land already.”   
   
 Kageyama chewed on some fruit, mulling it over. “Any word from Woede?”   
   
 “Nothing.”   
   
 “So, it could end up being three against one…”   
   
 “Possibly.” Akaashi brought a hand up and tapped his lips, making a small noise. “But now there is also a fifth nation, Nuru, that has grown in enough power to be considered in the mix. They have publicly condemned the attack. Although they are not part of the treaty, they are threatening to defend Valentia if this persists.”   
   
 “We need allies.” Kageyama picked up his croissant and pulled it apart. “Nuru, and if possible – Woede. Three nations against two, we can win this war.”   
   
 “Not quite.” Akaashi sighed. “Rodzina’s military power is probably stronger than all four other nations combined… Chhal, on the other hand, has always been a great ally of ours, and their arcane arts greatly overpower our nation’s. Realistically, these two nations could overtake the world without much against them.”   
   
 Kageyama swallowed the part of the croissant he’d tossed in his mouth and hummed. “Except, there’s us.”   
   
 Akaashi nodded slowly.   
   
 “The politics are out of our hands.” Kageyama shrugged. “I wouldn’t be able to follow it even if it was.”   
   
 Akaashi cracked another rare smile. “But I wonder… if Valentia truly wanted peace… why spend three years creating a force like us in the first place…?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Ushijima Wakatoshi did not—under any circumstance—appreciate, accept, or acclaim his new job. Though in all honesty, it was an honour to be handpicked by Her Majesty to be the Commanding Officer of the Fires of Valentia, he… Ushijima took a deep breath. He could not accept the theory behind the work. He was only told bits and pieces of the… inauguration process into the Fires, but it was enough to know it was inhuman and wrong.   
   
 And, these soldiers…   
   
 These Fourteen…   
   
 They too were inhuman and wrong.   
   
 Still,   
   
 “Like shells,” Goshiki said. “Did you see Kiyoko, and Tadashi? They… they were nothing like what they used to be!”   
   
 “Tsutomu,” Ushijima warned, using Goshiki’s first name which he often never did. Goshiki straightened at his words, and Ushijima relaxed. “Regardless of how Lady Shimizu or Lord Yamaguchi are acting, it is not in our role or right to question the Queen.”   
   
 “O-Of c-course n-not!” Goshiki practically shouted, “The Queen of Fire is benevolent and loved! I would do anything for her, Lord Ushijima! I truly would!”   
   
 “I am aware.” Ushijima pursed his lips. “Tsutomu,” he said quietly, “We have our next mission. I will not be able to do this without the Silver Eagle.”   
   
 “My ship is yours!”   
   
 Ushijima nodded. “I do not…” He paused, eyes drifting away. “I should not say this…”   
   
 “Lord Ushijima.” Goshiki saluted firm. “I will keep your words close to me, and me alone.”   
   
 “I do not trust the Fires of Valentia.” Ushijima glared at Goshiki. “If I feel they will harm our nations, I will be the one to snuff them out myself.”   
   
 Goshiki jolted.   
   
 “But.” Ushijima looked down. “The Queen has put faith into them, and she has lost… so much, personally, to ensure its success. If there is even the barest chance that these Fires can help us win this war, then I will do the opposite.” His eyes drifted back to Goshiki. “I will be the one to fan their flames. I ask you, Sky Captain, to do the same until we know for sure what these… things, are.”   
   
 Goshiki lowered his salute, but his stance was firm. He nodded once. “I will give this unit my all, even if I… cannot accept it.”   
   
 Ushijima nodded as well. “It is a difficult thing to do. But I believe it is necessary until we understand what they are.” He turned away. “The Queen of Fire has asked us to move. We should begin briefing the unit immediately.”   
   
 “Yes Sir!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The large table at the centre glowed when the arcane runes were activated. Etched onto this table was a map of the world, showing the Great Continent, where three of the nations were resting. Nearby, there were two smaller islands where one nation each lived. When the magics of the table were activated, the table pulled and zoomed in on Valentia, growing in detail as it expanded.   
   
 “This,” Ushijima said plainly, “Is Valentia. I assume you remember that much.”   
   
 Kageyama nodded, but shot a quick glance to Hinata – who looked like this was the first time he’d seen this. Kageyama glared.   
   
 “Rodzina and Chhal have taken close to seventy percent of Valentia’s land. Most of this is farmland and open spaces, though it encompasses many cities and villages, as well as resource supplies that our army will need. Your actions…” He looked up at them. “By summoning Nohebi Primus, greatly turned the tide of battle before the Royal City was reached. That being said, we must reclaim the lost land.”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 “The enemy armies have pulled back, notably. The blue line is the enemy forces.” He pointed at the blue space that suddenly pulled back from encompassing seventy percent of the land to roughly fifty. “Our mission is to push them back to the border and retake Valentia.”   
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses, while Shirabu moved some hair out of his eyes.   
   
 “We have informants and spies in all of the major cities, keeping us updated on their situation. The best way to move would be to create a commando strike force to shatter their wounded morale, while smaller teams slip through and retake cities.”   
   
 Kageyama looked at him. “Who is on the main strike force?”   
   
 “One, Two, Twelve, and Fourteen.”   
   
 Kageyama smirked.   
   
 Akaashi raised an eyebrow.   
   
 Kiyoko nodded slowly.   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 “Your actions,” Ushijima went on, “Will be critical. You must succeed.”   
   
 Kiyoko was the first to reply; a quiet, but firm, “Understood.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Silver Eagle swept through Valentia, hiding in clouds and weaving through mountains to be undetected as it dropped off each pair at different locations. The only group to consist of more than two units was their strike force, and they were the last ones on the ship. The hum of the crystal engine and the howls of wind were the only sounds amongst the otherwise silent deck.   
   
 Finally, Akaashi spoke, “You are agitated.”   
   
 Kiyoko’s arms were crossed firmly against her chest, as if she was trying to hide the seething anger rolling like a storm beneath her skin. She stared at Akaashi and sucked in her cheeks as she took a breath. “We should be focusing on recapturing cities… If we break their morale, corner them, then they could hold our cities hostage.”   
   
 “We are more a distraction than a strike force,” Akaashi murmured. “I do not know how exactly we can break their morale as easily as they said.”   
   
 Kageyama opened his mouth to speak, but,   
   
 “Death.”   
   
 Kageyama looked over his shoulder.   
   
 Orange hair shifting in the winds, Hinata’s eyes were downcast. “They’re using Death magic here too.” He looked up at them. “I think they’re sending us here for a specific reason… something only we can do.”   
   
 Akaashi raised his chin as he turned. “You… Your element is, Death, is it not? That is your specialisation?”   
   
 Hinata nodded slowly.   
   
 “Death,” Kiyoko murmured. “It is not one of the known elements… though.” Her eyes turned to Kageyama. “Neither is Null.”   
   
 “Null is a normal occurrence,” Kageyama murmured. “It’s not known for mages to wield it successfully often, but it has been recorded.”   
   
 “Necromancy on the other hand,” Akaashi continued, “Is just a fancy, a fairy tale. No one – as far as we know – has wielded Death before. Death is just a concept, a state of being… not an element. Null, itself, is a force of energy.”   
   
 Kiyoko nodded appreciatively. “There is a distinction then.”   
   
 “Um.” Hinata pursed his lips. “I don’t know what you’re all talking about, but if I’m using it as an element – doesn’t that mean it’s an element.”   
   
 Kageyama glared. “Except you’re—”   
   
 “Get ready!” called out Goshiki, “We’re getting close to their main force!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Sky Captain dropped them off a twenty or thirty minute walk from a cliff overlooking their main force. Any closer, and he would have been risking the Silver Eagle. The four of them walked in silence. Akaashi and Kiyoko both had a proud stride, reminiscent of nobles, and Kageyama noted it. He never thought about how he walked, but he noticed he had a mix of elements in his walk.   
   
 Casual, as if he was not born of any class, as well as tense, as if he had often been on the run.   
   
 His mind went back to the dream (memory?) he had, earlier, and his breathing tensed for a moment.   
   
 Hinata, on the hand, walked with a kind of blankness, like he was not from any place or any time in particular.   
   
 “Look,” Akaashi spoke quietly.   
   
 Kiyoko’s jaw tensed.   
   
 Kageyama frowned as he looked over the cliff. “What… is that?”   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened. “Death.”   
   
 They turned to him.   
   
 “It’s Death magic. All of it. That beast is entirely made of Death.”   
   
 Far below, to the army of Rodzina and Chhal, there was a large monkey-like beast that stood taller than five-story house. Its fists were big and its face seemed nondescript. It was made of swirling black fluid that seemed to be wrapped around a frame. Every few moments, a light would shine through the liquid, shimmers of vermillion red and sunset orange.   
   
 Kageyama scowled. “What is that thing?”   
   
 “It’s powerful,” Hinata whispered. He opened his hand and summoned his scythe. “We have to be careful. Really careful.”   
   
 Kiyoko snapped her finger and a bow formed on her hand, quiver on her back.   
   
 Akaashi’s temperature dropped and a cold white mist solidified into a lance.   
   
 Kageyama only stared on, rolling his wrist to relax his hands.   
   
 Hinata eyed him. “You don’t have a weapon?”   
   
 Kageyama turned to him. “We were training together, for three years. Where were you?”   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 Kiyoko turned towards them, and Akaashi as well.   
   
 The beast began to move.   
   
 “Who are you?” Kageyama asked, eyes glaring.   
   
 “I don’t know,” Hinata said as he took a step back. “I don’t have my memories! Just like you guys.”   
   
 “Just like us?” Kageyama took a step forward. “You’re not one of us!”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 The beast began to climb the cliff.   
   
 “Enough,” Akaashi raised his voice.   
   
  _“Kageyama,”_  Kiyoko quietly, but  _firmly,_  interjected, “I agree with the sentiment… but don’t take this too far.”   
   
 “Fourteen,” Kageyama said in a growl, “Who are you?”   
   
 “I don’t know!” Hinata yelled, “I said I don’t know!”   
   
 The beast’s face rose over the cliffside.   
   
 “I don’t know who I am!” Hinata kept yelling, “And there’s nothing I can do about that!”   
   
 “Ah,” came a low, serene voice, “Splitting them again, are you?”   
   
 They turned, seeing the large monkey made of this black fluid looming over them, casting a shadow over them all.   
   
 “You never change, even now.” The nondescript face turned towards Kageyama. “Glowering, like a dog, you were always a monster, suspicious of everyone. Your anger. Your bitterness. The way you yell and shout, filled with so much hatred…”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened.   
   
 “You break everything.”   
   
 Kageyama felt something tear inside him, and he was submerged in black wind.   
   
   
 He could vaguely hear screams, for him, and he heard a battle. Kiyoko, Akaashi, and Hinata – they were fighting this beast. But Kageyama hit the water’s surface with an impact, dropping into a black lake. Air bubbles surrounded him for a moment, before they drifted up, and he drifted down.   
   
   
 His eyes were shut, but he could see the beast overpowering his allies.   
   
   
 Kageyama felt himself drift down, and disappear.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Kageyama’s chin was on the ground, glaring. Saliva was spilling out of his chained mouth, and his arms were tied behind his back. He was drooling, he knew, like a broken dog, but his will would not fade. The fire in him burned on, even with every act to break him.  
   
 That was the life in this tiny room.   
   
 But one day, the door opened and it was not the usual guards.   
   
 All expression faded from Kageyama’s face.   
   
 A man walked in.   
   
 He knew this man.   
   
 Everyone knew this man.   
   
 “When she mentioned you, I guess I expected someone a bit more… proud.” Suguru Daishou, Chancellor of Fire, was walking towards him, with an ancient tome in his hand. He stopped before the bars to Kageyama’s cell and he smiled. “Oh,” he said with what seemed to be joy.   
   
 Kageyama _ glared. _  
   
 “Even now, there’s life in you?” Daishou smiled. “I’m glad to see that.”   
   
 Kageyama watched him, saying nothing.   
   
 “How would you feel, Tobio, if I gave you a second chance?” Daishou raised his chin. “I have quite the offer, and the price is steep… but, let’s be real. You either take my chance, or you stay here until you die.”   
   
 Kageyama looked at him, and he didn’t know what kind of face he was making but he saw the Chancellor smile.   
   
 “I guess you’ve already decided.” Daishou smirked. “Then, Kageyama, you will imbue—”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “One.”   
   
   
 The river of black blasted away and the smoke dispersed—Kageyama was standing again on the cliffside, power  _radiating_  through him. What seemed almost like fire and wind swirled around him, while thunder and lightning seemed to tear from his form.   
   
   
 Kiyoko, on her knees, looked up in shock.   
   
 Akaashi, half his face covered in blood, blinked twice.   
   
 Hinata, the only one still standing, backed away from the beast, panting, and glanced over.   
   
 “One, the beginning of everything.” Kageyama’s eyes snapped open. “Everything starts with One. Everything grows from One. It is a tenacious number, that begins the path, and forms the strength of everything else.” He opened his hand.   
   
 His magic stormed around him.   
   
 Slivers and cords of blue light shot out.   
   
 The beast screamed as it was speared by these lights.   
   
 Kageyama wove them in impossible patterns by tracing ancient runes with his hands. “One,” he repeated. “In the deck of cards—the Ace!”   
   
 The blue lights shot up and split apart, curving in loops before they all centered on a single point, centered on—   
   
 “One!” Kageyama roared, flooding the beast in a manastorm that tore its limbs off.   
   
 The blue light shone bright.   
   
 And the beast screamed as it was cracked and dissolved.   
   
 Kageyama opened his hands and the blue lights swirled around him before hiding under his cloak.   
   
 Silence.   
   
 Kageyama looked up, to the blue skies. He frowned for a moment, squinting as he saw a shadow pass the sun. Two birds, he realised, flying away, undisturbed. He raised a hand, putting it to the sky.  _Freedom._    
   
 Kiyoko stared. “Kageyama… what…” She took a shaky breath. “What was that?”   
   
 Kageyama lowered his hand and stared at the ever-expansive sky, almost forgetting who he was as he remembered how much he had missed this sight.   
   
 Akaashi coughed. “Kageyama? What just happened to you…?”   
   
 Kageyama looked at them. “Mission complete.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 When they returned, each unit picked up by the Silver Eagle at rendezvous points, healed by the mages on Goshiki’s ship, they went straight for the Royal City to have an audience with Her Majesty. Lord Ushijima made it very clear that they should not expect such treatment often. The Queen would not be able to attend their every mission debriefing, and it made sense to them.   
   
 Ushijima kneeled when he stepped before her throne, Goshiki as well, though the rest of their unit did not. They only saluted, and Yachi did not seem to mind.   
   
 “You’ve all protected our realm,” Yachi said with a smile. “The decisive strike you’ve made today has pushed them back even further. Soon, we can retake Valentia and reinforce our defenses. This war, as far as we know, began for no reason… We have never been told why or what they are after. Until I can ascertain the purpose of this war, I will have to rely on you as our primary strike force.”   
   
 Kiyoko frowned. “And what aids you in believing we will keep… fighting for  _you?”_    
   
 Yachi made a small noise, eyes going wide.   
   
 Ushijima and Goshiki both spun to her.   
   
 Kiyoko crossed her arms. “I’m not the only one here thinking this…” She adjusted her glasses slowly. “We have no memories of Valentia, or you. Why should we be fighting for Valentia?”   
   
 “As I mentioned before, I do not know why this war began…” Yachi clutched her hands together, knuckles growing white. “But as of now, Valentia is on the defensive. We have innocent civilians locked up by the enemy forces, and injustice is growing across our lands… I understand if you are not ready to be the blade of Valentia, but… I must ask you, please, to at least be its shield.”   
   
 Kiyoko considered the words and, after a moment, nodded.   
   
 Yachi visibly relaxed, and an honest true smile formed on her lips. “Each of you have given so, so much… You were all heroes, in your own right. That is why—”   
   
 “No,” Kageyama spoke up. “You lie.”   
   
 Yachi blinked twice.   
   
 They all turned to Kageyama.   
   
 “I remember.” Kageyama looked at her. “I remember who I was… who I am. You said we are heroes in our own right? I was a thief. A murderer… a criminal. I was locked up in the vaults of your magiprison.” His eyes narrowed. “Some of my memories are still blurry, but it’s coming to me. Why would a criminal become One? What motive do you have for recruiting criminals and lying to them, calling them heroes!?”   
   
 The words echoed in the golden halls, and soon only the low crackling of the braziers was heard.   
   
 There was a sigh.   
   
 Daishou held the tome close to him and his eyes drifted to Kageyama. “But what were your crimes?”   
   
 Kageyama stiffened.   
   
 “Your name was the first given to me by the Queen. You spent your life in the streets, a rat who barely had enough food to live. You dedicated your life to do what everyone only heard stories of: You stole from the rich and gave to the poor. You created balance and helped those who needed it to prosper. That wasn’t why you were arrested, though.” He smiled. “That part was perhaps even noble. But. You were arrested because you tried to assassinate the Queen.”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened, and he looked to Yachi for confirmation.   
   
 Yachi nodded her head slowly. “It is true.”   
   
 “What!?” Goshiki drew his blade. “I will not allow—”   
   
 “Hold!” Ushijima roared, another echo in the halls.   
   
 Goshiki did not put his weapon away, but kept it at his side.   
   
 “You bound me, in your magic,” Yachi explained, “And you asked me to answer for my crimes. How could I live in these royal halls, if so much suffering was happening in the city below…?”   
   
 Kageyama’s breathing hitched.   
   
 “We talked, Tobio… for a long time. I spoke with you… at length… I admitted what you already knew. This country was not perfect, and many a time my hands are tied.” She looked down. “The inner workings of a city are complicated… and many of my wishes have fallen defeated.”   
   
 Kiyoko watched her carefully.   
   
 “Tobio, you saw yourself as an avatar of vengeance, for all of those who suffered due to the broken system that my country propagates.” She looked up. “But when we spoke, you forgave me, for my limitations. You said it yourself… that you knew I was using my position to fix the broken system. That we shared the same  _anger_  at the injustices… but even with my power, I couldn’t fix it all.”   
   
 Kageyama nodded, slowly remembering.   
   
 “In choosing to let me go, you were cornered by my guards. For that, I wouldn’t allow you to be killed, so I chose instead to lock you up… until I found a chance. Until I found some way I could give you a future. When the Chancellor told me of this plan, and that he needed volunteers—yours was the first name I gave.”   
   
 Kageyama’s shoulders softened and his eyes fell.   
   
 “Listen,” Yachi addressed them all, “I trust each of you with my life.”   
   
 “Touching,” Kiyoko remarked dryly, “But that sentiment is not returned.”   
   
 Yachi tensed, making eye contact with Kiyoko.   
   
 “I’m afraid I don’t know you, and I don’t know much about this unit right now.” Kiyoko huffed. “Some of us have our memories still intact,” she said as she side-eyed Shirabu, then her eyes shifted to Hinata, “Some of us have no memories at all.” Her eyes shot towards Yachi again. “But I trust myself. Not you, Your Majesty, and not this unit.”   
   
 Yachi nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “I see.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Fires of Valentia were dismissed, and Yachi stayed still on her throne, hands together. She knew Daishou wanted to speak to her, but he murmured that he would be back – and left. Yachi was thankful for it. She listened to the sound of the braziers burning and it filled her with some comfort. Eventually, she sighed louder and spoke,   
   
 “It’s not like you to sulk in the shadows, Milord.”   
   
 “Your… Majesty…” Ushijima stepped out behind a pillar, eyes downcast, flushed in shame.   
   
 “Wakatoshi,” Yachi said with a small smile. “You are concerned for me.”   
   
 “I… Yes.” He looked up at her. “Yes, I am.”   
   
 “It is nothing,” she assured. “I will live.”   
   
 “But…”   
   
 “I knew she wouldn’t remember me… I knew she wouldn’t even recognise me.” Yachi leaned back in her throne. “I was prepared for that.” She squished her eyes closed. “It’s another thing altogether to… Well, I guess what I mean to say is… I wasn’t ready for her not being able to trust me.”   
   
 Ushijima stepped forward. “She will remember in time, Your Majesty.”   
   
 “But will she turn on me before then…?”   
   
 Ushijima frowned.   
   
 Yachi mumbled to herself, “Once she realises what we’ve done…”   
   
 “Your Majesty?”   
   
 Yachi straightened her back and forced another broken smile. “I apologise, Wakatoshi… I am consulting Lord Daishou regularly, instead of you as I usually do. I understand this is upsetting to you… but it must be done.”   
   
 Ushijima closed his eyes and nodded slowly. He didn’t know what to say, so he bowed, and turned to leave.   
   
 Lord Suguru Daishou was standing by one of the pillars, watching him.   
   
 Ushijima passed him, glaring.   
   
 Daishou waited until Ushijima was gone before walking towards the centre of the room and walking down the aisle towards the throne.   
   
 Yachi looked at him and remembered their goal. She forced in a big breath of air and held her shoulders strong. “Tenacity, then? Kageyama was able to defeat it?”   
   
 “Very so.”   
   
 “Perhaps the war is not lost…”   
   
 “Unlikely.” Daishou shrugged. “This war is most likely already lost. That is the price we are paying for our greater cause.”  
   
 “Yes…” Yachi forced herself to breathe. “This war is lost… my people will die, my throne will run red, and she—”   
   
 Daishou frowned and the magics in the air shifted, cutting Yachi off. “Forget about Shimizu Kiyoko, Your Majesty.” He waved her off. “Show none of your usual weakness. You and I both know we are fighting for greater things.”   
   
 Yachi held back tears as she nodded. “Yes.”   
   
 “There is only one thing we must do right now, moving forward.” Daishou held the tome close. “The Fires of Valentia… it is important to ensure that they must never know their true purpose.” 


	2. Stability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy. Guess who fell off the rails of his update schedule on chapter two. Things have been rough for me, with moving, and my job kicking off, but I'm motivated to get back on track. Expect updates to come out a little quicker until I hit my goal again (and, please, cheer me on -- lmao I'm gonna need it). Anyway, this chapter's shoutout goes to [Winter (AO3)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crown_of_Winterthorne/). I have no idea if she'll ever read this, but she writes one of the most compelling and dynamic Akaashis, so I can say I was definitely inspired by reading her stuff (and if you've got time, check it out!!!).
> 
> * * *

 Hinata had a bit of a creepy-crawly feeling in his chest and tummy as he went out to the common area. Having breakfast served in such a high fashion was something he could get used to—but, at the same time—he wanted to disappear when he was under the gaze of his teammates.   
   
 Teammates.   
   
  _If_  they were even teammates.   
   
 Kageyama had been the  _worst._  But Kageyama seemed to have mellowed out a little since his memories returned. That, in turn, however, had made everyone else wonder about their own memories…   
   
 Which led to many suspicious glares at Shirabu, whose memories were intact, and to Hinata – who had no memories, at all. He hadn’t even known his own name until Daishou told him.   
   
 Hinata pursed his lips, not sure if he should be casual or keep his head down. It wasn’t like he’d done anything to be the way he was, so why were they all staring at him like he was some freak!?   
   
 He grabbed a couple fruits and a double-chocolate muffin. He also got a cup of coffee, though his cup was mostly that sweet chilled cream that the guy with the freaky red hair was raving about yesterday.   
   
 Everyone else in the room was talking to someone else. Sitting or standing, it didn’t matter, the squad members seemed to be all getting along.   
   
 Hinata took a seat in one of the other far tables.   
   
 He began eating, keeping his head down.   
   
 A server walked up to him with a pot in his hand. “More coffee, Sir?”   
   
 “Ah.” Hinata looked up. “No thanks!”   
   
 The server nodded respectfully and walked away.   
   
 “Hm,” came another voice, amused. “There doesn’t seem to be much coffee in your cup at all.”   
   
 Hinata looked up. “Uh…” He tried to remember this person’s name, or number. But he couldn’t. Was he the guy who used the scythe? Wait, no. Hinata blinked. Hinata himself used the scythe. He remembered the question and jolted in his seat. “N-No! I like it sweet. And not too hot. I guess?”   
   
 The man laughed and graced Hinata with what seemed to be a rare smile. “I myself prefer tea with honey. More honey than I’d like to admit.”   
   
 Hinata’s lips tugged into a smile. “You’re… uh…”   
   
 “Akaashi Keiji,” he said simply.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened. “Two.”   
   
 “Yes.” Akaashi nodded. “We battled together yesterday. You were quite skilled. May I sit here?”   
   
 “Oh! Yeah! Sure.”   
   
 Akaashi smiled. “Kuroo was concerned about you,” he lowered his voice a bit. “He said you looked lonely.”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Who?”   
   
 Akaashi laughed and opened his mouth, but paused for a moment. “Speak of the devil.”   
   
 Hinata glanced to the side.   
   
 Kuroo, a lanky-looking man with a bedhead, came walking over with a plate of food and sat next to Akaashi. He gave Hinata a smile before looking at Akaashi. “Bokuto isn’t here?”   
   
 Akaashi shook his head.   
   
 Joining them was a shorter member, wearing a mask that covered his face. Hinata remembered this was Number Eleven, though no other details came to him.   
   
 Hinata tilted his head. “Do you eat with that thing on?”   
   
 Eleven turned to Hinata, expression hidden behind the mask, but when he said “No,” it had a slight amused tone to it.   
   
 Hinata tilted his head.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“One, the beginning of everything.” Kageyama’s eyes snapped open. “Everything starts with One. Everything grows from One. It is a tenacious number, that begins the path, and forms the strength of everything else.” He opened his hand.  
   
 His magic stormed around him.   
   
 Slivers and cords of blue light shot out.   
   
 The beast screamed as it was speared by these lights.   
   
 Kageyama wove them in impossible patterns by tracing ancient runes with his hands. “One,” he repeated. “In the deck of cards—the Ace!”_    
   
   
 Kageyama had been walking in a daze for most of the morning, not really caring where he followed his feet in the Royal Palace. He found himself eventually in a tight hallway, probably used by servants to move quickly. Kageyama looked up, noticing a stained glass painting that gave the halls hues of blue and orange. “I feel… powerful.”   
   
 “Do you?”   
   
 Kageyama spun, cloak fluttering.   
   
 Daishou just smirked.   
   
 “Chancellor!” Kageyama dropped to a knee, lowering his head—and he didn’t know why he did. He vaguely understood this was a sign of respect he didn’t even give the Queen, yet his body had moved.   
   
 Daishou waved his hand dismissively.   
   
 Kageyama stood up, cheeks heated slightly as he looked away.   
   
 This person – Daishou – this Chancellor…   
   
 Kageyama trusted him entirely. But why?   
   
 Daishou walked over to him and pressed a burning hand against Kageyama’s shoulder. “You will be the hammer. He is the anvil.” He let go and began walking away.   
   
 Kageyama squinted, watching him go.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Akaashi was walking towards their residencies, but his mind was elsewhere. No matter how he tried to ground himself in the present, and focus on going forward, his mind kept drifting back. First, it moved to Kiyoko – who had openly and defiantly told off the Queen. Akaashi wasn’t sure such a display was necessary, though he had to admit that many of the words she had said echoed in his heart. He hadn’t signed up to be some ragdoll war toy.   
   
 But, then again, maybe he had.   
   
 Having no memories was a difficult thing, and Akaashi sighed as he figured, well, of course it would be… but he didn’t know what to do, or what to say. How could he trust this Queen that he had openly pledged himself to this?   
   
 And yet—   
   
 His eyes narrowed.   
   
 His thoughts drifted, as they often did, from Kiyoko to Kageyama.   
   
 The surge of power on the battlefield, as if Kageyama had been asleep the entire time, and had finally woken up in that single moment. Kageyama’s powers had grown tenfold, and Akaashi felt like his lance must have been rubber compared to Kageyama’s magics. He wondered, then, would he – too – awaken that way?   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes softened.   
   
 His thoughts drifted, as they often did, from Kageyama to Hinata.   
   
 Hinata had fought hard and true, using  _Death_  as his element. Akaashi shivered. Goosebumps laced along his body. Akaashi continued his walk, not caring of the things he passed. His mind was in his memories. Hinata had fought on a level close to Kageyama, as well, but yet his origins were… well…   
   
 Akaashi closed his eyes.   
   
 His thoughts drifted, as they often did, from anything and everything… to Bokuto.   
   
 Why?   
   
 Akaashi opened his eyes.   
   
 Why did he care about this man? This hunkering oaf who was obsessed with calling him  _Owlet_. He frowned. Such a thing was improper, and yet…   
   
 Akaashi was no fool. He understood his heart was beating a bit differently, his hands felt warm, his chest felt warm, his head felt like it was flooded by warm dopamine.   
   
 But…   
   
 Bokuto wasn’t the only one who did that for him.   
   
 Kuroo’s smile made him feel funny, and the soft moments where Eleven would turn to give him attention…   
   
 Akaashi shook his head.   
   
 But unlike Kuroo or Eleven, Bokuto was…   
   
 Akaashi blinked.   
   
 He found himself in front of the door numbered,  _5._    
   
 Bokuto was in his room, hiding, shutting the world out. Akaashi stared at the door, unsure what his role was in this moment, what the best course of action should be. He stared at the door, and frowned. He couldn’t bring himself to knock. Was he supposed to care about Bokuto in some way? He blinked twice, looking down.   
   
 His eyes widened.   
   
   
  _A sigh. “Leave him alone.”  
   
 Another voice, “No!”   
   
 “He’ll be fine,” the quiet voice assured, “This is a part of how he is…”   
   
 “Kitten, it’s not that simple—”   
   
 “It [i]is,”_  Eleven said with force, and both Kuroo and Akaashi recoiled. They were in some room, like a living room (was this from before?) in a house. “Let him be himself… Let him be Bokuto… You don’t always have to cheer him up… just be there for him, if he wants you there… It’s not that hard.”   
   
 “But,” Akaashi spoke up (he did?), “I don’t want him to… feel… so down.”   
   
 Eleven’s eyes (he wasn’t wearing his mask?) were sharp on Akaashi. “If you can’t handle him, I don’t mind taking care of him… but don’t try to make him feel better just so your anxiety goes away.”[/i]   
   
   
 “Two.”   
   
 Akaashi recoiled and turned to the side.   
   
 Kageyama stood, expression blank. “That room belongs to Five. Our rooms are a bit further back.”   
   
 Akaashi looked around the complex and nodded slowly. “Yes. I—I am aware.”   
   
 Kageyama blinked. “You seemed… thoughtful. Um.” He frowned. “No, um. Lost in thought?”   
   
 “I…” Akaashi put his hand to his head. “I think I had… a memory.”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened.   
   
 “It came back to me.” He pursed his lips. “Four and I were concerned about Five, but Eleven was telling us we’ll just make it worse if we… I guess, force him to be happy?”   
   
 Kageyama tilted his head. He glanced to the door. “Were you and Five close?”   
   
 “I… I have no way of knowing.” Akaashi shook his head. “But Bokuto has closed himself off in his room, as he has in the past… so maybe the similarity of the situation gave me a memory, or…?”   
   
 “Will Five be able to join the next mission?” Kageyama spoke quietly, “Memories aside, our duty doesn’t change. We are soldiers. We don’t have time to close ourselves off.”   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed dangerously.   
   
 Kageyama met the gaze with a glare.   
   
 A breeze passed them by.   
   
 Kageyama turned away and walked to his room.   
   
 Akaashi frowned, closing his eyes.  _Is that all we are…?_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Akaashi needed to distract himself, so he went to the war room, where several different army commanders (Ushijima and Goshiki included) were discussing the events. At the moment, several mages were broad-casting a spell to keep them informed of the different areas of Valentia.   
   
 Akaashi clung to the back of the room, a military wall-flower.   
   
 He needed to keep himself distracted; how lucky for him there was a war going on…   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The summons from the Queen were met with timely attendance from all of them; and, to Akaashi’s relief, Bokuto included. Akaashi relaxed when he saw Bokuto present, and he found he could focus easily on the Queen now.   
   
 Yachi wore the same royal vermillion dress, hair tied up in a bun with her hairpin this time.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes dropped to Yachi’s lap, where her fingers seemed to wiggle. He noted the small display of nervousness, sure that others did not, but his eyes went back up to her face, ready to hear her words.   
   
 Yachi took a deep breath, in and out, before speaking. “Morale has surged with your arrival. Our mages are informing others of the display of prowess you showed, far and wide. The cities of Valentia are still mostly under occupancy by Chhal, but that – stops –  _now.”_    
   
 There were a few nods.   
   
 “I will be splitting you up to free the remaining cities.”   
   
 “Your Majesty,” Akaashi spoke softly, “A question, if I may… Is it normal for you to be directing our missions?”   
   
 Ushijima raised an eyebrow.   
   
 Goshiki grabbed his blade’s handle. “Heathen!”   
   
 “I meant no disrespect, Sky Captain.” Akaashi kept his posture and tone even. “It is a matter of, importance to me. I am aware what some of the soldiers call us. The Chancellor’s pets. His projects. That means nothing to me… I suppose, what I am trying to ascertain, Your Majesty, is how important are we to get orders directly from you?”   
   
 “Well…” Yachi’s brows came together, creating wrinkles. Her hands fumbled together. “Right now, the majority of Valentia’s army is either wounded or captured… You fourteen are Valentia’s only chance. Although many hail you as heroes, it is like you have said… others see you as, lab projects, to a Chancellor who… in recent years… has lost the confidence of the people.”   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 “But, it is as you have said, Keiji,” Yachi said his name warmly, “You must know how important you are to me. On a personal level… more than I can admit professionally. On a military level, the Fires of Valentia will be my strongest commando unit. I have many units and fleets to control, all of which are locked down because of Rodzina’s sky fleet and Chhal’s magi.”   
   
 “So,” Kiyoko spoke up, “We are the only ones who can free Valentia.”   
   
 Yachi nodded. “Yes.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Akaashi wasn’t particularly happy with the team he was assigned to, but he wasn’t particularly unhappy. He had seen the numbers: 1, 2, 4 – and he had both wanted to relax and to grimace. Working with Kageyama was both a blessing and a curse. Kageyama’s powers were quite strong, but their most recent conversation had left a bad taste in Akaashi’s mouth.   
   
 Four – Kuroo – Akaashi found himself looking forward to working with.   
   
 As Akaashi made sure his supplies were stocked, he boarded the Silver Eagle and he heard footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder.   
   
 “Ah, Akaashi!” Bokuto was stiff as a pole. He saluted. “I’ve been reassigned to, uh, your squad!”   
   
 Akaashi stared and turned. “We are teammates, Bokuto. There is no need to treat me like a superior.”   
   
 “Oh! Right! Sure!”   
   
 Akaashi laughed, suddenly.   
   
 Bokuto’s face went bright red. “D-Did I… d-do something…?”   
   
 “Sorry, I…” Akaashi forced his mouth shut. “That Hinata said something similar before. The way he got embarrassed… It reminded me of it. Are you alright? Your face is quite red?”   
   
 “Nothing!” Bokuto  _yelled,_  “I’m fine!”   
   
 Kuroo walked over, Kageyama just behind, and hummed. “What are you two chatting about?”   
   
 Bokuto smiled. “We’re on the same team. Four of us.”   
   
 Kuroo grinned. “Nice.”   
   
 Kageyama said nothing.   
   
 Akaashi nodded. “Then we should be off. Our goal is to hit all the remaining cities at once.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The first to be dropped off were a pair of their shortest: Hinata was waving goodbye as he was dropped off near a cliffside, with Eleven—whose expression was, as always, hidden behind the mask. Akaashi watched them go, finding it odd that only two of them were going, but when the Silver Eagle took flight again – he could see it was quite a smaller city compared to the rest.   
   
 Six, Seven, Eight, and Nine were dropped off next. Sugawara and his twin brother were chitchatting with each other, while Shirabu walked tall and proud. Their other member melded into the shadows and followed in stealth.   
   
 Akaashi knew his team was next, and he got ready. He stood next to Kuroo and felt a pang in his chest. “I had a memory.”   
   
 Kuroo looked over.   
   
 “It was, the four of us…”   
   
 Kuroo blinked. “The four of us?”   
   
 “With Eleven.” Akaashi looked at Kuroo. “I vaguely remember… trying to help Bokuto in some way… but Eleven told me off. Apparently what I was going to do was not helpful.”   
   
 Kuroo pursed his lips. “Really?”   
   
 “Yes.”   
   
 “Because…” Kuroo frowned. “I think I remember you being the best with Bo.”   
   
 Akaashi blinked. He opened his mouth to speak but,   
   
 Goshiki’s voice called out, “Third Unit, get ready for drop off!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Akaashi threw himself into the thrum and rhythm of battle, not knowing who or what he was – exactly – but knowing this was familiar. Like muscle memory, like coming home after a long day—Akaashi’s spear pierced into the hearts of his enemies, and blood sprayed into the air, like little petals falling, before they painted his snow white skin and expressionless face.   
   
 Yes.   
   
 Battle.   
   
 He was born to battle, for Valentia. That much… that much he remembered.   
   
 “Strike!” Kageyama roared over the chaos—his strings of magic spiking through his enemies.   
   
 Bokuto charged in with his blade, while Kuroo hung back.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes narrowed on his target, a mage who was healing his enemy.   
   
 This battle had begun quickly, and explosions rocked the cityscape. This city was circular in shape, and they struck hard from the west gate, eliminating many of the guards by surprise. The enemy mages and soldiers charged at them, while the occupied civilians screamed, gathering their families, running for cover.   
   
 Akaashi dove into the fray, slipping past several soldiers, spear in hand. He extended his lance, hearing the scream of the healer, and his eyes softened ever so slightly. Another death. Was it… regret? Akaashi grabbed his spear with two hands and spun it quickly, tossing the corpse aside. “Come,” he told them.   
   
 And they did.   
   
 Akaashi moved with feline grace, sidestepping several swipes of their blades, and returned with pierces of his lance. Knees, kidney, heart, throat—jaw. Wherever he aimed, he struck hard and true. An instant death each and every time.   
   
 “Hey!” Kuroo’s voice called out. “Watch out!”   
   
 Akaashi threw himself back, eyes scanning for the threat.   
   
 An enemy mage’s hands were burning skin to bone in desperation as he launched a fireball with a heavy trail.   
   
 Akaashi jumped out of the way and his eyes followed where it went.   
   
 Bokuto?   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened.   
   
 Bokuto was standing still under a large bridge, not moving, even as the spell was throttling towards him.   
   
 “Moron,” Akaashi whispered. “Why would I fall for anyone who can’t even dodge—”   
   
 A child.   
   
 A child behind Bokuto, clutching his leg.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened.   
   
 A civilian caught in the crossfire, hiding under a bridge in hopes of surviving.   
   
 Bokuto’s blade was massive, requiring two hands to wield. He slammed it in the ground in front of him and turned, moving down and shielding the child with his body.   
   
 “Bokuto!” Akaashi roared, reaching out besides knowing nothing he could do could stop—   
   
 The spell hit the sword, and an explosion burst outwards, flaring to the bridge above and heating and bursting the stones.   
   
 Akaashi stared, analysing.   
   
 If the spell didn’t kill Bokuto—the collapsing bridge would.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Akaashi was reading a book, sitting on a small sofa in what seemed to be… his home? Someone was sitting next to him, unnaturally silent, resting his head on Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi didn’t mind, just continued to read his book, a soft smile on his lips.  
   
 “Thanks Keiji…”   
   
 Akaashi glanced to the side.   
   
 “For taking care of me… when I get like this.”   
   
 “There is nothing to thank me for,” Akaashi assured quietly. “You know that, Bokuto.”   
   
 “You say that but… no matter how many times I hear it, ahhh… I’m being difficult.” Bokuto forced a smile. “I can’t bring myself to believe it…” He squished his eyes closed. “You know how I am… my swings… my moods… Kenma gets annoyed with me, Kuroo probably hates me…”   
   
 Akaashi leaned over, kissing Bokuto’s head. “Bokuto.”   
   
 Bokuto stayed still.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes softened. He slipped his bookmark in his book and closed it. “I have told you time and time again… we all have our… difficulties. But I can say, honestly, that you give me so much.”   
   
 Bokuto shifted a bit, eyes peeking open a bit to look at him. “Yeah?”   
   
 “More than I could ever express.”   
   
 “Can you… try?”   
   
 Akaashi felt his cheeks heat suddenly, and he smiled. “I can certainly try.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The supports of the bridge collapsed, and it came crashing downwards.   
   
 Bokuto would be killed, instantly.   
   
 Akaashi simply said, “No.”   
   
 White mist took to the sky, bringing with it snowflakes and shards of ice.   
   
 The bridge was falling.   
   
 Akaashi felt a growl burn in his throat and his grip tightened on his spear. “No!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Thank you…”  
   
 “There is no need to thank me,” Akaashi said simply.   
   
 This was the same home, but the kitchen now it seemed. Akaashi had just finished making a pot of tea when he was interrupted by Elev—   
   
 Kenma._    
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened.   
   
 His name was—   
   
  _Kenma wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s waist, hugging, nuzzling his back. “Bokuto, with his swings… Kuroo, with the way he gets too playful or passionate sometimes… and me… with my… immaturity. My anger. Annoyance…”  
   
 Akaashi said nothing.   
   
 “You smooth out our edges, Keiji.”   
   
 Akaashi moved slowly, spinning around so Kenma was now at his side, arms around his waist. “I do what I can, nothing more. It is not a job without many benefits.”   
   
 “If being humble was a power,” Kenma murmured, “You’d be invincible.”   
   
 “Yet I’m not.”   
   
 Kenma smiled. “Keiji…”   
   
 Akaashi opened his mouth, but—_    
   
 The bridge was collapsing.   
   
   
 And, into darkness, so was Akaashi.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 In Akaashi’s mind, he was swallowed by the void. He could hear orchestras, thousands of instruments, singing him a tune of madness. Each note was sharp, full of hate, and bitterness. Akaashi tried to cover his ears, but the deeper he fell… the further the orchestra moved into his mind.   
   
 “Everywhere you look…”   
   
 Akaashi opened his eyes.   
   
 “Your pathetic, tired self…”   
   
 Akaashi looked around, but the nebulous shadows around him provided him with nothing.   
   
 “You can’t save them… You can’t save anyone.”   
   
 “I can,” Akaashi whispered.   
   
 “Hmm… still, you fight…? Your crawling anxieties—”   
   
 “Enough!” Akaashi called his spear to his side. “I am going to save them. I am going to save him. That is final.”   
   
 “Moments ago—”   
   
 “Yes, moments ago,” Akaashi continued, “I wondered why I would ever… but…” His eyes closed. “He lives in a world of extremes, it’s true… but that’s nothing new to me. Kuroo, Kenma… even myself… We’re the same! We all have our own fears…”   
   
 The orchestra ramped up, louder still—   
   
 “The only thing I could give him…” His eyes narrowed, pained, and he felt his chest shake. “It’s the only thing I can give all of them!”   
   
 The symphony stopped.   
   
 “The only thing I can be is—”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Bokuto hugged the child, hearing the blast above, and knowing—he knew—he knew he was about to die. In protecting them from the spell directly, he had made himself vulnerable to an indirect effect. He hugged the child, fighting back the urge to yell sorry, for failing. For being a failure. As he often was.   
   
 Cold.   
   
 Bokuto’s eyes snapped open.   
   
 White mist surged upwards—freezing the building and falling stones in long silvery arcs.   
   
 Bokuto looked up, lips parted, releasing air in a visible heated white.   
   
 “Two.”   
   
 Bokuto looked behind him, seeing enemy soldiers frozen in crystalline ice.   
   
 “It’s the number of simplicity,” Akaashi murmured to no one in particular. He stood, snow white in a frozen city. “It represents a pair… a couple… It represents matching, complementation. Completion.” He raised his spear slightly to his side, even as the remaining soldiers encircled him. “It’s the number of stability.”   
   
 Soldiers charged, archers fired, and mages cast their spells.   
   
 “A pair? A couple?” Akaashi blurred as he dodged. “We found our own way—our own way to find stability.” He pierced the soldiers nearby. His eyes narrowed. Akaashi slammed his lance into the ground, causing spikes of frost to spear the archers and mages that were far.   
   
 There was another yell.   
   
 Bokuto looked behind him.   
   
 A civilian, a teenager, was yelling, holding his hand outwards.   
   
 The child looked up at Bokuto once, smiling, before he ran over to the teenager. The two of them ducked into an alley, away from the battle.   
   
 Bokuto turned back, eyes widening.   
   
 Akaashi had always had a small strut in his walk, making his way towards Bokuto. His eyes seemed to come alive with dancing fires despite the snowflakes clinging to his skin.   
   
 Bokuto felt his hands begin to sweat.   
   
 “Bokuto.” Akaashi grabbed the heavy blade with his free hand and pulled it out of the ground, offering it to Bokuto. “You had your ups and downs, but I was jealous when we first met… how you show your raw emotion. Because I always struggled to show it.”   
   
 Bokuto took the blade.   
   
 “Kuroo,” Akaashi said as he looked over his shoulder. “Your passion, your strive… your want for more. I’m addicted to it.”   
   
 Kuroo took a sharp breath.   
   
 “Even Kenma,” Akaashi said. He blinked. “Yes, that’s right… his name is Kenma.” He smiled a little. “He brought so much to me. You each did. I need to preserve that, protect that. We have our extremes, our angers, our anxieties… and all of that. It’s okay. But I can’t stop that from letting them get the better of me.”   
   
 Kuroo and Bokuto looked at each other, blinking and shrugging.   
   
 Kageyama, on the other hand, let his eyes close until there was a small slit left open.   
   
 More soldiers charged towards them, a larger batch this time, with the beasts as well.   
   
 Akaashi turned, a dangerous little smile on his lips. “Come,” he told them, before he  _charged._    
   
 Bokuto wanted to yell, but stopped himself. “Is he… even faster now?”   
   
 Akaashi dove directly into the fray, doing a front flip and bringing the butt of his lance down. A ring of ice shot out all around him, freezing fireballs and arrows in the air. He moved through their ranks, spinning and slashing, jumping high into the sky before surging downwards.   
   
 Kageyama made an amused noise. “Not much work for us…”   
   
 “We should watch out,” Kuroo said with a frown, “This magic…”   
   
 Bokuto blinked. “They’re summoning?”   
   
 It descended from the sky—a great winged form, with large horns.   
   
 “Fukurodani,” Akaashi murmured before kicking off the ground. He vaulted into the sky, passing the beast and, with a flip, came  _crashing_  down.   
   
 The summon hit the earth and was gone as soon as it had come.   
   
 Akaashi looked up again and he ordered the remaining enemies, “Come.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Less than fifteen minutes later, Kuroo ran a hand through his hair and sighed in disbelief. “The enemy’s been completely routed. The civilians are all safe, too.”   
   
 Kageyama joined the two of them, nodding. “There’s no damage to the structures from Akaashi’s ice magic.”   
   
 “Wow.” Kuroo whistled. “That’s kind of hot.”   
   
 Kageyama made a face.   
   
 Kuroo grinned, glancing over his shoulder. “Bo?”   
   
 “Everyone’s,” Bokuto whispered, “All good, all safe. The ice is, uh, dissolving… but the mages in town are making sure it’s happening in a safe way. We’re good to go.”   
   
 “Yes,” came a fourth voice. Akaashi landed paces away from them from another high jump. He dismissed his spear, smiling a coy little smile. “Mission success.”   
   
 “I, uh…” Bokuto swallowed hard. “Didn’t do much.”   
   
 “Bokuto.” Akaashi looked him in the eye. “Whatever’s been bothering you… we solve it, you understand? Together.”   
   
 Bokuto blinked.   
   
 Akaashi reached over, gracing Bokuto’s cheek with the back of his hand, eyes softening at the touch.   
   
 Kuroo crossed his arms. “What about me?”   
   
 Akaashi snorted and shot Kuroo a dark look, but he gave a little wink.   
   
 Kuroo inhaled sharply.   
   
 Kageyama tilted his head. “Am I missing something?”   
   
 Akaashi laughed, shoulders shaking. “Sorry Kageyama.”   
   
 Bokuto’s eyes widened, cheeks going red. “Oh.”   
   
 Akaashi tilted his head. “What is it?”   
   
 Bokuto looked away, nervously fumbling his hands together. “Nothing, just… that was… I was thinking… I really like hearing you laugh, Akaashi.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “You guys are back!”   
   
 Akaashi raised an eyebrow as they walked off the docking platform. With many of Valentia’s cities no longer under occupation, more than just the Silver Eagle was flying their skies. Akaashi and his group had been brought back home after a different airship came by with medics, supplies, and bolstered defences in case the two armies moved against the city again.   
   
 Hinata was standing in the airship dockyard, waiting.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes drifted past Hinata, and. “Kenma.”   
   
 Kenma stiffened.   
   
 “I hope you don’t mind me using your name.”   
   
 Kenma’s expression was hidden behind his mask, but he gave a small shrug. Without waiting for another word, he turned around and began to walk away.   
   
 “Hey, wait.” Hinata turned as well, to watch him go. “Why did you want to come see them if you’re just going to leave?”   
   
 Bokuto approached Hinata after that, striking up conversation about what their missions were like.   
   
 Kageyama gave Akaashi a look before leaving as well.   
   
 Kuroo put his hands on his hip. “Why was Eleven, er… Kenma, here?”   
   
 “He was worried about us,” Akaashi murmured. “He wouldn’t say it, though. He’s a kitten, after all, and he’ll take time to warm up to us. Like he did before.”   
   
 “Like he did be—” Kuroo’s eyes widened and he spun to face Akaashi. “Your… Your memories?”   
   
 “Yes.” Akaashi smilled. “They’ve returned.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata eventually parted ways with Bokuto, but he felt an odd chill. It felt like two hands on his back, but he knew that wasn’t quite it. He was being followed. He continued to walk, moving to a corridor in the palace where he had a good escape point if it went south. He summoned his scythe, and spun.   
   
 The cloaked figure removed his hood.   
   
 “Ugh.” Hinata growled. “Why are you always so dramatic?”   
   
 “I’m not dramatic…” Kageyama huffed. “I just wanted to make sure no one else was listening when I asked you something.”   
   
 Hinata kept his battle stance, eyes still in a glare. “What is it?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Keiji Akaashi.”   
   
 Akaashi was in the front steps of their apartment when he turned around. He raised both eyebrows as he whispered, “Chancellor.”   
   
 Daishou stepped up a few steps, so they were on even ground and smiled. “I know you most likely have a heart bursting to tell the others what you’ve discovered…”   
   
 Akaashi felt a sudden rush of heat on his cheeks. “It was on my mind…”   
   
 “But, on the other hand…”   
   
 “We gave up our memories.” Akaashi looked up to the stars above. “It’s up to each of them to reclaim their own memories. I cannot simply spoon feed them.”   
   
 Daishou nodded slowly. “As long as you know that, I have no other need for you.”   
   
 Akaashi glanced at him.   
   
 “Have a good night, Keiji.”   
   
 “Goodnight… Chancellor…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “I’m not dramatic…” Kageyama huffed. “I just wanted to make sure no one else was listening when I asked you something.”   
   
 Hinata kept his battle stance, eyes still in a glare. “What is it?”   
   
 “Your memories…” Kageyama raised his chin. “You have nothing, not even bits or pieces…? You did not even know your name, from what I was told.”   
   
 Hinata nodded. “So?”   
   
 “Akaashi’s memories returned to him today. When he did… there was a surge of power.”   
   
 “Like.” Hinata lowered his gaze. “Like you did? Last time?”   
   
 “Yes. Now we have three people on that level.” Kageyama tensed. “Myself. Akaashi. And you.”   
   
 “Me?”   
   
 “With our memories, we gained power. But you have no memories, and yet you have power.”   
   
 “So?” Hinata frowned. “What does that mean? What are you trying to say?”   
   
 “I’m saying… you.” Kageyama’s eyes burned. “You aren’t normal. You shouldn’t exist. You never existed before!”   
   
 Hinata took a step back.   
   
 “I don’t trust you!” Kageyama growled. “I don’t trust you… and I don’t think you’re one of us.”   
   
 Hinata almost lost his grip on his scythe.   
   
 Kageyama turned around, walking out of the room.   
   
 Hinata stayed in the small corridor, quiet. Alone. The light from the stained glass window painted him in multicolour, but he closed his eyes, shutting everything out.   
   
  _Not normal? What… what was is that supposed to mean?”_


	3. Valor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Kristin, who plays a mad good Kyoutani and Yamaguchi in RP Servers. She really inspired me to think of both characters with more depth, and they've always been a golden support that's kept me writing and achieving great things. Other than that, slowly catching up to the update schedule~ I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! <3 <3 <3
> 
> * * *

 He was starting to get used to this—the morning routine. The breakfast was a little different each day, and it always felt a bit too upper class, but he couldn’t deny he loved the food! When Hinata saw one of the servants bringing a fresh batch of muffins (these ones with chocolate chips!), he  _might_  have tried to cut the line and reach for one, wanting it so—   
   
 Someone shoved him hard.   
   
 Hinata yelped, falling on his ass.   
   
 One of the hooded members of their unit gave him a  _growl_  and a  _glare,_  before walking off.   
   
 Hinata blinked, staring eyes wide.   
   
 Bokuto ran over, offering a hand, and Hinata took it to help himself up.   
   
 Paces away from them, Goshiki Tsutomu, Sky Captain of the Silver Eagle, did his best not to let his anger show. It was, truly, his best attempt—but a poor one. He frowned with such intensity. “Who was that?” he whispered low, to Ushijima behind him, “Who does he think he is?”   
   
 Ushijima, eyes on the hooded member, said nothing.   
   
 It was Kiyoko who spoke up, “Kyoutani Kentarou.”   
   
 Goshiki looked at her.   
   
 Ushijima murmured, “His fighting name was Mad Dog…”   
   
 “He represents number Three.” Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “He is known for his… behavioural, issues.”   
   
 “Yes…” Goshiki pouted. “I can see that. He is wearing the royal seal on his vest, though! He should know better than to act in such a disgraceful way! I should go correct him myself!”   
   
 “Go for it,” Kiyoko said with a small laugh in her throat. Her eyes shifted over to Goshiki. “Then you’ll see just what our squad is capable of.”   
   
 Goshiki blanched, feeling his breakfast suddenly disagree with him.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Pathetic,” came a voice. “You’re just a pile of anger.”  
   
 Kyoutani said nothing. He sat upon a tree branch that had been warped into a bench. His wounded arm was being cared for by someone. A medic?   
   
 “Nothing you do,” Yahaba continued, “Shows any sign of thought.”   
   
 Yahaba?   
   
 Who was that supposed to be?_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata was walking around the palace. Without a mission, it was technically his time off. Bokuto had asked if he wanted to spend time with him and Akaashi, but he’d seen Akaashi inviting Kageyama – so he decided not to go with them. Kageyama was the worst. Well.   
   
 He thought back to the shove in the dining hall, this morning.   
   
 Hinata scowled. Maybe Kyoutani was worse… Maybe.   
   
 “You!”   
   
 Hinata yelped, screaming louder than he should have, and turned to the voice.   
   
 The man approaching him grabbed his arm and looked him over. “You’re one of them, right? The Fires?”   
   
 “Uh.” Hinata blinked. He yanked his arm away. “I am. Who are you?”   
   
 “Yaku,” he said sharply, “Engineer.”   
   
 “Okay.” Hinata frowned. “What do you want?”   
   
 “Is Kuroo with you? Is he there? Is he safe?”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “I think I remember a Kuroo…” Which one was that again?   
   
 “What are you people, anyway?” Yaku stepped forward. “You know the rumours going around, right…? That you’ve all been reduced to blank slates. You’re subjects, human experiments. The military doesn’t trust Daishou and neither should you—you got that?”   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 “Tell Kuroo I said that.” Yaku glared. “Remind him, that we don’t trust the Chancellor. At all.”   
   
 “We?”   
   
 Yaku frowned. “What about you?” He eyed Hinata over once more. “Do you trust the Chancellor of Fire?”   
   
 Hinata blinked again.   
   
 “Is it true…?” Yaku lowered his voice, “Is it true… you’re all just… test subjects… of some, experiment?”   
   
 Hinata opened his mouth, but his eyes widened when a hand clasped his shoulder.   
   
 Yaku’s face paled as he looked up.   
   
 Suguru Daishou was not, by any means, that much taller than Yaku; however, with his presence, he seemed to tower above everyone. He gave a smile. “This here is a soldier, not a politician. He can neither confirm nor deny any statements, Morisuke.”   
   
 Yaku shook visibly.   
   
 “He’s freed cities from enemy control. Let’s allow him to rest after such dangerous missions, no?”   
   
 Yaku stepped back.   
   
 Daishou spirited Hinata away, guiding him further down the hall. Hinata opened his mouth, but Daishou  _hissed,_  “Keep walking.”   
   
 Hinata’s jaw snapped shut.   
   
 Daishou continued to guide him. “You’ll have your answers later, Fourteen. For now, continue to be my pawn. Be the scythe that tears through Sakusa’s design.”   
   
 Hinata tilted his head. “Sakusa?”   
   
 Daishou let go of Hinata’s shoulder and moved away. “Keep your head high, Shouyou. You’re a Fire, so burn bright.”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 Daishou slipped into another hallway.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Yahaba… who are you?_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama woke up with a start, grasping his chest and feeling a strange tug. He curled under his sheets, realising he was hungry… Had he overslept? He took a moment to fully wake up, before he pulled the bedsheets off and tugged at the curtains. Squinting, he realised it must be afternoon already… He wondered why he had slept so long, but sighed, and decided to move on.   
   
 He changed into civilian clothes and went into the streets. For once, he wanted to avoid the military crowd…   
   
 And go into town.   
   
 His town, his home…   
   
 Though he hadn’t remembered them until recently – there were people who remembered him… they might have worried for him, maybe.   
   
 “After all,” he whispered, “I am a criminal…”   
   
 “Eh?”   
   
 Kageyama tensed.   
   
 Hinata stood a few paces away from him, also wearing casual clothes. “Do you always talk to yourself?”   
   
 Kageyama scowled. “No!”   
   
 “But you were talking to yourself.”   
   
 “I wasn’t!”   
   
 “It’s okay to talk to yourself, you know!”   
   
 “I wasn’t talking to myself! You were talking to yourself!”   
   
 “I wasn’t!” Hinata crossed his arms. “Why are you always so freakin’ mean to me? I didn’t do anything wrong!”   
   
 “I don’t care!” Kageyama took a few steps so he could loom down above Hinata. “Don’t follow me!”   
   
 “Where are you going?” Hinata blinked, tilting his head. He looked Kageyama up and down and made a noise. “Oh, are you going into the city?”   
   
 “No!”   
   
 “You were!” Hinata grinned. “What are you going to do? There’s really nice food stalls, they sell fruits and frozen cream things. And there’s a nice cafe, where a girl with pigtails sings and plays guitar, and—”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened.   
   
 Hinata tilted his head, an unspoken question.   
   
 “Nothing!”   
   
 “Oh! Do you know the girl with pigtails?” Hinata tilted his head even further. “That’s a pretty vague description, it could be lots of people!”   
   
 Kageyama scowled. “But.” He looked away. “If she sings at cafes and bars… it could be her.”   
   
 “A girlfriend?”   
   
 “No!”   
   
 “Stop yelling!”   
   
 “You stop yelling!”   
   
 Hinata huffed and put his arms on his hips, leaning back. “I won’t tell you which cafe if you’re not nice to me.”   
   
 Kageyama shot him another glare.   
   
 Hinata looked at him again and hummed. “But you were gone for three years, right? Who knows what happened to her.”   
   
 “Not.” Kageyama crushed a single hand into a fist, shaking. “Not just three years… even before that… I was in the magiprison, for… for I don’t even know how long.” He looked down. “I…”   
   
 Hinata zipped his mouth shut.   
   
 “I don’t know…” Kageyama looked down. “If I have a home to go back to…”   
   
 Hinata looked down as well. “You mean… when this war ends?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded. “I know it’s nowhere near ending but… now that I know my past… I can’t stop thinking, about the future.” He looked at Hinata. “It might be something you’re not concerned about, but I am!”   
   
 Hinata crossed his arms again. “Look, Kageyama! You don’t have to be mean!” He bit his lip. “Even if I don’t know my past… or if I don’t have a past… I still want a future!”   
   
 “Do you?” Kageyama stepped forward. “Do you really? Have you thought about it? Have you thought about anything!? Where would you live? Which country? Which city? What would you do for money? What kind of home do you want?”   
   
 Hinata’s arms went slack as he looked Kageyama in the eye.   
   
 “You’ll probably always have a job, being Daishou’s pet.” Kageyama’s eyes darkened. “Not me. I know what I want to do.”   
   
 “Well… what do you want to do?”   
   
 “This isn’t about me!”   
   
 “Hey! This isn’t about me either!” Hinata made a loud whine. “Fine! Go talk to your girlfriend—”   
   
 “She’s not my girlfriend!”   
   
 “Sounds like she is!”   
   
 “She’s my sister!”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Sister?”   
   
 “She…” Kageyama squished his eyes closed. “Fuck!” He put a hand to his forehead and closed his head. “Kind of…” He swallowed hard. “We… grew up… in an orphanage, together…” He took a deep breath. “We… Why am I telling you this?”   
   
 “I don’t know.” Hinata shrugged. “But you’re probably pretty lonely if you’re just blurting it out to me.”   
   
 “Damn you little—!”   
   
 Hinata dodged a lunge and he laughed. “You weren’t at breakfast. Did you eat something?”   
   
 Kageyama tugged at his sweater and growled. “Leave me alone, Fourteen.”   
   
 “Okay…” Hinata sighed. “You’re a real weirdo.”   
   
 “I—” Kageyama turned to look at him, eyes filled with uncertainty. “Shut up!”   
   
 Hinata raised his hands in a peace gesture and stepped away.   
   
 Kageyama sighed and let a breeze wash over them. “Maybe I’ll go another day…”   
   
 “Huh? Why?”   
   
 “Because!” Kageyama swallowed hard. “Because… just… Stop asking questions!”   
   
 “Okay, okay!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Kyoutani was sitting in the dark. A decrepit room that smelled stale, of old blood and rotted flesh. Blade in hand, he could hear the crowd cheering and cheering as his name was mentioned. Mad Dog, they called him. He smirked a little. He’d never admit he liked the name.  
   
 He heard the door open.   
   
 The attendant who was here to tell him it was time looked scared.   
   
 Kyoutani wasn’t going to hurt him… and a part of him wanted to tell him just that, but his throat seemed dry. It wasn’t the time for niceties, right now. No. He needed anger. He needed hatred… His grip on his sword tightened and he stood. He walked off into the darkness of a never ending hallway, and the sounds of his name being cheered seemed to get louder and louder.   
   
 Good.   
   
 The light at the end of the hallway seemed to shine, and Kyoutani breathed in fresh air for the first time in a week, letting it fill his lungs.   
   
 He stepped out into the light, and the cheering erupted around him. He glared at the stands, the audience, and he spat on the ground.   
   
 They cheered louder.   
   
 In front of him, three other gladiators were ready, swords and shields held high.   
   
 Kyoutani swiped his blade and smirked.   
   
 It was time to let loose._   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kyoutani hated the memories, but there was something about them that was so alluring, so warm, and welcoming. He had found a similar fighting circle in Valentia’s capital city, but it was not to the scale of whatever hometown he was from. He’d beaten every member in a trial of swordplay, stopping at first blood. Some charged for a second round, and he willed himself to stop before slaughter.   
   
 In the end, he finished his battles and was heading home to bathe and unwind.   
   
 Footsteps followed him.   
   
 Kyoutani felt another memory call at his mind again, Yahaba’s name almost slipping from his lips, but he steeled himself and summoned his blade. He looked over his shoulder.   
   
 The Valentia soldiers, whom he had beaten, were ready with weapons drawn.   
   
 Kyoutani scoffed and turned to face them. He gave them a questioning look.   
   
 “You made us look bad,” one of them said, “In front of our superior.”   
   
 “Yeah,” came another, “We’ll see how strong you are three against one.”   
   
 The third one chuckled. “It won’t be until first blood this time…”   
   
 “Good,” Kyoutani spoke.   
   
 They all blinked.   
   
 “Wait, you can actually talk?”   
   
 “No mages here,” Kyoutani went on. “Kill easy.”   
   
 They all stepped back.   
   
 Kyoutani readied his weapon; however, his head cocked to the side. He lowered his sword and sighed.   
   
 “H-Hey! Are you leaving!”   
   
 “Mission,” he spat out, “Move.”   
   
 They split, giving him way to leave the way he came.   
   
 Kyoutani glared as he stomped forward.   
   
 This mission had better be worth it…   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The fourteen of them gathered in the royal halls of Yachi’s throne room; however, the queen was not sitting on her throne. She was standing, near one of the pillars, talking to what appeared to be advisors. Kyoutani hid his urge to smirk. It looked like the Queen was having trouble reigning in the people who wanted to support her.   
   
 “Lord Tsukishima,” Yachi said cooly, “We cannot discuss this anymore. I am sorry.”   
   
 “But,” Tsukishima spoke in a tense, dry voice, “Your Majesty—”   
   
 “It must be done,” Yachi whispered. “The Chancellor said so.” She turned and began walking towards the fourteen of them.   
   
 “Hitoka!” Tsukishima followed, but—   
   
 A rapier was pointed to his chest, blocking his path.   
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes widened. “Tadashi?”   
   
 Yamaguchi blinked at being called by his first name, but he didn’t lower his sword.   
   
 “Thirteen,” Yachi spoke up, “At ease.”   
   
 “Understood, Your Majesty.” Yamaguchi pulled his rapier away, swiping it down towards the floor. “But I will prefer if this one keeps his distance.”   
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes were wide. “Tadashi…”   
   
 Yamaguchi frowned, a soft, confused frown. “I don’t know why or how you know that name, but I heard enough. I trust in the Chancellor, and in his wisdom. I will not have you interrupt this meeting any longer.”   
   
 “You…” Tsukishima scowled. “You trust that snake more than me!?”   
   
 “I will follow his orders, and I will not have you upset the Queen.”   
   
 “Tadashi!” Tsukishima stepped forward, but—   
   
 “No!” Yachi screamed.   
   
 Yamaguchi lunged, spearing his rapier through Tsukishima’s chest.   
   
 Tsukishima looked down at the wound, his white shirt flooding red.   
   
 “Thirteen!” Ushijima roared, “Stand down!”   
   
 “I don’t know you,” Yamaguchi murmured, hollow, “But do not refer to me by that name, and stay away from her majesty.”   
   
 Tsukishima looked hurt, and not from the bleeding wound.   
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes were unblinking. “Stay out of the Chancellor’s way.” He pulled the blade out, ignoring the small spurt of blood that fell on the floor between them.   
   
 Tsukishima keeled over.   
   
 “A healer!” Ushijima yelled, “We need a—”   
   
 “Hold.” Yachi crossed the space and pressed her hand against the bleeding wound. Her magic began to shine in a phoenix-like red.   
   
 Tsukishima coughed as his legs gave out; he was guided to the floor by Yachi, but his eyes shot to Yamaguchi. “What… happened to you?”   
   
 Kiyoko raised her chin. “Hold your tongue.”   
   
 Ushijima glared at her. “Stay out of this.”   
   
 Kiyoko raised an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses as she glanced away.   
   
 Paces away, Kyoutani snickered.   
   
 Semi Eita – Nine – glanced over to Kyoutani. “You find this amusing, somehow?”   
   
 “Mm.” Kyoutani nodded. “Queen who doesn’t mind blood… stabbing in the court… disorder. Chaos.”   
   
 Semi frowned. “And this is entertaining?”   
   
 “Maybe.”   
   
 Semi opened his mouth, but someone hugged his arm.   
   
 Sugawara, Semi’s twin brother, smiled. “It is kind of amusing.”   
   
 Kyoutani glared at them for a moment. Brothers. Twins. They trusted each other inherently, and perfectly. Kyoutani knew no one that he felt that way towards; except, maybe…   
   
  _Yahaba?_    
   
 Kyoutani frowned at the floor.   
   
  _Who is…_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “It seems we had a little situation,” Daishou spoke with a flat, annoyed tone, “So I will be doing the mission briefing myself.”   
   
 Yamaguchi closed his eyes and lowered his head. “My apologies.”   
   
 “It doesn’t matter.” Daishou shrugged. “Kei is just a regular human, not like you all.”   
   
 Yamaguchi nodded, then paused. “Did he know me, from before?”   
   
 Daishou gave another noncommittal shrug. “What matters is our next move against enemy forces. I know most of you have gathered the basics of our current struggle, but let me reiterate: There are four nations. Each nation represents an element. Our Valentia, which we serve until death, is ruled by the Queen of Fire, Yachi Hitoka. I assume you know that much.”   
   
 Goshiki grit his teeth.   
   
 “Our nation was, as you know, attacked by a joint coalition. Rodzina’s Emperor of Water, and Chhal’s Rahni of Earth teamed up against us. Our three nations are locked in combat.” He waved his hand and the map was covered in lights indicating the forces. “Woede’s High Thane of Wind is avoiding the conflict. If it were warfare in any other century, these four nations are all that we would concern ourselves with.”   
   
 “But,” Akaashi spoke up, “Now there’s five.”   
   
 “Exactly.” Daishou nodded. “This new kingdom—if it can even be called a kingdom—Nuru, is a fifth player, a wild card. Really, it’s just a city. A city of scholars.”   
   
 Kyoutani scoffed.   
   
 “Scholars are mages,” Daishou reminded them, “And mages are efficient war tools.”   
   
 Kyoutani hummed, nodding.   
   
 “The ruler of Nuru, their Tenno – as his title is – has denounced this combat. They’ve even discussed… assisting our efforts.”   
   
 “Oh?” Kiyoko leaned forward slightly.   
   
 “However.” Daishou waved his hand, and the map moved to the center of the main continent. “Irregular magics have concentrated here, on this point. The city of Nuru has declared that all civilians must stay away, as the magics are dangerous in nature.”   
   
 “We need their support,” Kageyama murmured, “No matter what.”   
   
 “And what an opportune time,” Daishou said with a snake-like smile. “A city of mages, who cannot use their magic because of the waves of this… irregularity… would be greatly indebted to us if we solved their problem.”   
   
 A few nods.   
   
 “But,” came Yamaguchi’s voice, “We cannot simply leave Valentia undefended either. Even if there are soldiers, we – namely Fourteen – have to deal with any Death magic their army uses against us.”   
   
 Daishou nodded. “And so, I will be splitting you up. The task force who will go to Nuru is the following: One, Two, Three, Six, Nine, and Fourteen.”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 Akaashi did as well.   
   
 Kyoutani smirked.   
   
 Sugawara glanced at Semi, who shared a look with him.   
   
 Hinata blinked. “But, wouldn’t I be—uh.” Everyone stared at him, and he swallowed hard. “Wouldn’t I be better at dealing with the Death magic that’s still left in Valentia.”   
   
 “No.” Daishou  _smirked._  “This is your mission. I expect great things from you, specifically.”   
   
 Hinata stiffened. “Y-Yes Sir!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Okay!” Goshiki smiled bright. “Let’s fly!”   
   
 Semi lingered in the ship’s command centre, where Goshiki flew the ship with an old style boat’s steering wheel. He watched him, a small smile on his lips. “For how much you hate us… it seems taking to the sky always cheers you up.”   
   
 Goshiki tensed, looking over his shoulder. “I d-don’t!  _H-Hate_  you…”   
   
 “I understand you distrust us,” Semi murmured, “And I don’t blame you.”   
   
 Goshiki looked forward, throat tight.   
   
 “You are following your gut. That’s not a bad thing.” Semi took a few steps forward to stand closer to Goshiki. “I understand… not many things… add up, when we’re involved. Still, you support us and lend us your ship. Thank you, Sky Captain.”   
   
 Goshiki’s cheeks tinged pink and his voice  _croaked_  as he said, “N-No worries!”   
   
 Paces away, the others on the ship were standing closer to the front, the bow, of the airship. Hinata, particularly, was drawn to what seemed like a pillar of light shooting up from a point they were quickly approaching.   
   
 “That’s it, huh?” Sugawara hummed. “That’s where we’re going…?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 Kyoutani examined it from afar, frowning.   
   
 “Sky Captain,” Semi spoke up again, “What do you know of the Chancellor?”   
   
 Goshiki’s hand paused for a moment and he bit his lip. “Well…”   
   
 Sugawara looked back, smiling. “It seems like Valentia doesn’t like him very much.”   
   
 “No,” Goshiki spoke with a stern face. “The Queen has always been wary of him as well! And for good reason… no one knows what that  _snake_  is thinking—”   
   
 Kyoutani turned, growling. He moved quickly towards Goshiki, weapon drawn.   
   
 Semi blurred towards him, grabbing his wrist to keep him still. “Go on, Sky Captain.”   
   
 “No one trusts the Chancellor,” Goshiki said, despite his heart racing. “No one.” He looked over to Akaashi. “Not even you did, before you joined this… project. And now! Suddenly! You’re trusting him like he’s your best friend! And the Queen is too! Do you even know why you trust him?”   
   
 “My memories have returned,” Akaashi announced, which drew a few surprised looks towards him. “But… some parts are very hazy… I…” He looked at Kageyama. “What is it like, for you?”   
   
 Kageyama frowned. “I… have no memories, that support me trusting the Chancellor…”   
   
 Akaashi sighed. “Likewise.”   
   
 “Exactly!” Goshiki yelled, “He brainwashed all of you!”   
   
 Kyoutani  _flung_  Semi aside and  _charged._    
   
 Goshiki yelped.   
   
 Semi landed with a roll and readied his daggers, but paused.   
   
 Hinata had stepped between them, scythe ready. “Moron! He’s flying this thing! He goes down, we all go down…”   
   
 Kyoutani scoffed and dismissed his blade, turning away.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The beam of light that originated from something akin to ruins emanated enough magic that Goshiki couldn’t drop them off directly. He had to land the ship a good twenty minutes away, before taking off and hiding above the clouds so as to not draw suspicion.   
   
 The six of them walked in silence, a hurry to their pace.   
   
 Kyoutani looked left and right, like a scared dog.   
   
 “Stop that,” Akaashi eventually muttered. “What is this, anyway?”   
   
 “A crash?” Kageyama tilted his head. There were chunks of metal everywhere, what seemed to be airship parts, as if something metal had broken open and fallen. But, given the amount of rust, he assumed they must have been there a very long time. “Maybe—”   
   
 “Oi,” Kyoutani spoke up. “Quiet.”   
   
 Kageyama glared.   
   
 “We’re not alone.” Kyoutani looked around him again. “Someone else, here.”   
   
 Semi frowned. “You are certain?”   
   
 Sugawara nodded. “So it’s not just me, then.”   
   
 Kyoutani looked back at him, giving an appreciative nod.   
   
 Sugawara tugged up his hood and his steps became light. “There’s someone here… but let’s keep walking, for now.” Sugawara summoned his daggers, and Semi did the same. Their weapons matched.   
   
 With magic, Akaashi let out a cool breath, and his lance formed in his hand.   
   
 Kyoutani gripped his blade, eyeing Akaashi’s lance. Kyoutani was never social much, in the three years they’d trained, but he’d paid close attention to the weapons of his teammates. Akaashi’s spear… it had evolved. It had wicked and jagged curves near the tip, and the metal seemed sharper – if that was even possible.   
   
 Hinata paused. “Death.” He tilted his head. “But, it’s different… than before.”   
   
 “Well analysed.”   
   
 They paused and turned quickly.   
   
 Wearing a plain brown robe, someone with great magic prowess was walking towards them. Every step he took seemed to scare the ground into a tremor, and make the wind swirl around him. His hair was grey, black at the tips, and his eyes seemed both intense and calm. “You must be Fourteen, then?”   
   
 Hinata inhaled sharply. “So?”   
   
 “You wield Death… to think Daishou would go so far, as to put that power in a soldier’s hands.” He seemed to think something over, as he tilted his head. “Life and Death… they are the very same thing. Death magic… is, really… the same as wielding Life. The lifeforce inside each living being, granted by the crystals, can be manipulated. Warped. As you do…”   
   
 “As I do…?”   
   
 “That beam of light, that you see.” He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “That is being created by a being that is pouring with Death, or Life. It must be fixed.”   
   
 “Well.” Hinata looked at his scythe. “That’s why we’re here! We want to fix it. We want to save that lifeforce.”   
   
 “Save?” He frowned. “No. That,  _thing_ … is the same as you, Fourteen. It’s a thing that shouldn’t be. It’s a thing that should have never existed in the first place. It… defies nature.”   
   
 Hinata’s shoulders slumped.   
   
 Seeing that, Kyoutani growled. “Who the fuck are you?” His gaze darkened. “To decide… what defies nature?”   
   
 The man’s eyes drifted carelessly to him; but, upon making eye contact, his eyes widened. “Kyoutani…”   
   
 Kyoutani stiffened. “You…” He racked his brain for answers. “I know you…”   
   
 “Why are you here?” The man’s gaze dropped to Kyoutani’s uniform. “I see… so the time you went missing adds up… I should have known Daishou would take you from me.”   
   
 “From you?” Kyoutani raised his blade. “Who the fuck are you?”   
   
 “That,” Akaashi spoke up, “Is Shinsuke Kita… Chancellor of Woede, Master of Wind.”   
   
 Kyoutani’s grip faltered for a moment. “I’m… not… from Valentia?”   
   
 “No, you’re not,” Kita murmured. “Have you forgotten your own Chancellor…? Unlike Alisa, I gave none of my soldiers… but it seems Daishou has taken them from me. I will reclaim you, Kyoutani…” His eyes closed. “Both of you.”  
   
 “Both?” Semi blinked. “Who’s the second?”   
   
 Kyoutani held up his blade again. “Maybe I don’t want to be  _reclaimed,_  you dipshit!”   
   
 “Your spot is by the High Thane!” Kita raised his voice; and, though Kyoutani didn’t remember him, he felt such a thing was… uncharacteristic. “You are a bodyguard, a royal guard! Have you forgotten…? You serve my nation, not Daishou’s.”   
   
 “Then tell me,” Kyoutani murmured, “Why hasn’t  _your_  nation gotten involved in the war… What are they, pansies?”   
   
 “Pan—” Kita took a sharp breath, and the wind swirled around him. “Daishou’s war means nothing to me… The Queen of Fire has already traded away her kingdom… if the other nations want to bicker, we will let them. It does not involve us. Woede is an island, and we stay away from your wars… we always have.”   
   
 “Stay away from our wars,” Kageyama spoke up, “Stay on your island… then why are you here?”   
   
 “I am…” Kita’s gaze drifted to the column of light. “Here on… my own business. We Chancellors are not mere servants to kingdoms, we serve the planet, and the crystals that created this planet. We are protectors of life. It is my duty to kill the human that is causing this phenomenon… as it is my duty to kill your Fourteen.”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Me?”   
   
 Kageyama stepped in front of him, as did Kyoutani.   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 “Well.” Sugawara smiled. “We don’t exactly know him, but… he is one of us.”   
   
 “Koushi.” Kita eyed him. “You too?”   
   
 Suga blinked. “Me…?”   
   
 Semi frowned. “We’re a unit. We stick together. You can’t divide us.”   
   
 “Hinata,” Kageyama murmured, “We can’t fight a Chancellor for long… Get that human out of there. We’ll take care of this.”   
   
 Hinata nodded.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata ran, ran as fast he could. The fight that broke out released such a wave of force that the earth and all the metal scraps on the ground bucked and shook. Hinata kept himself up, despite the earthquakes and flying pieces of metal. He approached what looked like an underground cave, but it was metallic. He wondered if it was an entrance to the airship that fell, years ago.   
   
 He looked up, seeing the beam of light directly above him.   
   
 “Well,” Hinata said in a sigh, “Guess I gotta go down!”   
   
 And he did.   
   
 He moved through the broken husk of the airship.   
   
 Loose wires cracked with electricity, and metal doors were opening and closing on their own.   
   
 Hinata looked around. The machinery looked hundreds of years old, but maybe the Death (Life?) magic was breathing into its wires?   
   
 He summoned his scythe and slashed through the walls, making quick work as he followed his gut on which direction to go.   
   
 “There!” Hinata swung, tearing a wall that revealed a large room.   
   
 The engine room.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened.   
   
 Half the room had merged with the earth, forming metallic rocks and cavernous walls. In the center of the room, fused into the walls, was a human laying breathless.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kyoutani screamed as a surge of wind hit him head on. He was spinning through the air, and he hit the earth with enough force to bounce twice. He looked up, wincing from the pain, and surveyed the battle so far.   
   
 Kita had not taken a single step since the battle had begun.   
   
 Kageyama dodged a volt of wind and fought back with his own magic, cords of blue.   
   
 Akaashi launched several ice spells before going in close. He speared his lance twice at Kita.   
   
 Kita slapped the spear away, both times, and spun once to release another blast of wind.   
   
 Akaashi went flying.   
   
 Kyoutani growled. Kageyama and Akaashi… they were both far stronger than before, but even the two of them weren’t enough.   
   
 Sugawara and Semi, the twins, attacked in coordinated strikes. Both of them could summon flying daggers from different directions, but it was useless against the wind that whirled defensively around Kita.   
   
 Kyoutani’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Sugawara’s element was wind, and he was faring better against Kita than Semi was, but even still—   
   
 “Enough,” Kita whispered, though the wind could carry his words far enough for them all to hear. He released another surge of wind, and both Semi and Suga were blasted back.   
   
 Kyoutani got up and charged.   
   
 Kita looked at him, a blank expression in his eyes. He held up a hand, and—   
   
 Kyoutani felt another blast of wind hit him, blood spilling out of his mouth, and he hit the ground again.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Kyoutani had defeated yet another unwinnable fight. Four against one, he dispatched them two at a time, and didn’t let them gang up on him. Blade in hand, he raised his gladiator shield high into the air and roared, “For the High Thane!”  
   
 The crowd cheered, clapping, yelling his name, yelling Mad Dog, over and over.   
   
 Kyoutani looked up, not seeing the sky, but seeing roots and branches overhead, forming a ceiling.   
   
 One day…   
   
 Kyoutani promised himself: One day he would see the sky again._   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Toppling over, Kyoutani forced himself to his feet. He charged again, from behind Kita, but as his blade got close…   
   
 Kita turned to face him.   
   
 And the wind slammed him back again, grinding against the earth, throwing dust into the air.   
   
  _I’m the only one…_  Kyoutani forced himself up.  _Who’s not doing anything…_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Pathetic,” Yahaba sighed. “You’re just a pile of anger.”  
   
 Kyoutani said nothing. He sat upon a tree branch that was warped into a bench. His wounded arm was being cared for, and he watched as Yahaba wrapped the bandage around it.   
   
 “Nothing you do,” Yahaba continued, “Shows any sign of thought.”   
   
 Kyoutani’s eyes fell to the floor.   
   
 “You’re just an empty servant of the High Thane.” Yahaba smiled. (Why was he smiling?) “That’s what they say.”   
   
 “Do you…” Kyoutani was scared to look up at him, but he did. “Do you…?”   
   
 “Do I believe it?” Yahaba wrapped the bandage once more. “What do you think, Dog?” He smiled. “Of course not.”   
   
 Kyoutani let out the pressure that suffocated his chest.   
   
 “Moron.” Yahaba finished the bandage with a knot and then leaned over. He—   
   
 Oh.   
   
 He kissed Kyoutani’s forehead. “You know you’re so much more than just that.”   
   
 Kyoutani glanced to Yahaba’s neck, seeing a small green crystal hanging. A pendant. (Did Kyoutani give him that?) It shimmered with swirling magic encased in the emerald.   
   
 “So much more.”   
   
 “Am I?”   
   
 “You’re brave.” Yahaba scoffed. “You became a gladiator… found a new way in life. We’ll find a way, Kyou, for you and for me.”   
   
 “You have nothing to redeem.”   
   
 Yahaba laughed.   
   
 Kyoutani glared. “Why are you in such a good mood? Usually you’re yelling at me about getting hurt.”   
   
 “I would’ve died.” Yahaba’s eyes softened. “Other arm.”   
   
 Kyoutani offered his other arm. Oh, this one was bleeding too.   
   
 Yahaba moved to take care of the wound and smiled. “I would’ve been crushed under the cave in, if it weren’t for you. A few scrapes to your arm… I can let it go, this time.” He paused for a moment. “You never cower… I like that.”   
   
 “It’s easy,” Kyoutani murmured, “Doing what I do. It doesn’t require any bravery, any valor.”   
   
 Yahaba looked up at him. “What exactly do you think bravery is, Dog?”_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The wind howled, but  _he_  howled louder.   
   
 Kita paused, for a moment, eyes widening.   
   
 Kyoutani let out a roar as his blade began to glow. With one strike against the ground, spikes of earth raised around them, creating a ring, an arena.   
   
 Kita opened his palms to create two more bolts of wind, but he looked at his hands. “Anti-magic?” He looked at the stones, glaring. “Still… it will only dampen my power, not stop it…” He released both blasts of wind at Kyoutani.   
   
 They soared towards Kyoutani, who stood still.   
   
 Kita expected another sight of Kyoutani being knocked over, but instead there was a shine and the sound of impact.   
   
 Strapped to Kyoutani’s left arm, shining, was a  _shield._    
   
 Kita raised his chin. “Anti-magic? …Again?”   
   
 Kyoutani charged.   
   
 And Kita threw himself back as he launched more spells.   
   
 Kyoutani grinned. “Come on, mage! Let’s dance!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Come on!” Hinata yelled, pulling the being out of the stone. Though the person was fused into the wall, Hinata found himself able to pull his limbs out. He pulled with all his might, yelling as he did.   
   
 Finally, the body gave way.   
   
 Hinata yelped as he toppled over, this person on top of him. “H-Hey!”   
   
 “Same…” the person murmured, “Same… face…”   
   
 Hinata squeaked. “Who…?”   
   
 The person looked up at him, exhausted eyes bloodshot. He raised a hand, clasping Hinata’s shoulder. Hinata’s shoulder glowed silver for a moment, before the person fell unconscious.   
   
 “What the heck,” Hinata sounded like he was about to cry. “Wake the hell up!” He looked around, seeing—”Death.” Life? He raised his hand and let it surge into both him and this other person. “Come on, uh, sir? Friend? Buddy? Don’t die on me now!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kita felt himself break a sweat. He had received only a single cut that drew blood, to his shoulder, but it was enough to make his heart race. Besides duels with other chancellors, Kita had not received a wound from anyone in  _years. Decades._  He let the wind sing to him and he blasted Kyoutani back. “This ends now—I will tolerate this no longer.”   
   
 Kyoutani backflipped and landed on his feet with a skid. He threw himself forward.   
   
 Kita expected a slash and moved to dodge it.   
   
 But, instead, Kyoutani slammed with his shield.   
   
 And Kita felt the gold metal crash into his ribs.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Yahaba moved to take care of the wound and smiled. “I would’ve been crushed under the cave in, if it weren’t for you. A few scrapes to your arm… I can let it go, this time.” He paused for a moment. “You never cower… I like that.”  
   
 “It’s easy,” Kyoutani murmured, “Doing what I do. It doesn’t require any bravery, any valor.”   
   
 Yahaba looked up at him. “What exactly do you think bravery is, Dog?”   
   
 “I don’t know.” Kyoutani shrugged. “It’s just… doing shit that should be scary.”   
   
 “But this.” Yahaba slowed his movements as he wrapped the bandage around the arm. “This… between you and me, now… this softness… tenderness… this isn’t easy for you.”   
   
 Kyoutani made a small noise in the back of his throat, inhaling sharply.   
   
 “But you still try. You still want to be good to me, good for me…” Yahaba’s eyes unfocused slightly as he continued treating the wound. “You didn’t grow up with a childhood that taught you how to be soft… but you put yourself out there, you try, for me. For us.”   
   
 Kyoutani looked away.   
   
 “You try, even when you’re scared.” Yahaba finished wrapping the bandage and looked up. “For other people, fighting might be scary. It’s not for you. But… other things scare you. But whether it’s fighting, or other things… you rise. You always rise. You keep going. That’s what makes you brave. That, you dumb Dog, is why I love you.”_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kita backed away and poured his magic into a great spell. “I will regret killing you…” His eyes focused on Kyoutani alone. “But I have been left with no alternative…”   
   
 Kyoutani felt his weapons glow again and he roared, “Try it, fucker!”   
   
 Kita’s hands were clouded in a storm before he released a powerful bolt of wind.   
   
 The earth rose up, the anti-magic field strengthening.   
   
 “Three!” Kyoutani shouted as the spell hit his shield, threatening to send him flying, but he stood his ground. “The number of bravery, of valor!” He felt the wind wrapping around him, trying to suffocate him. “It’s the dare to break out, to be more than one or two—but to keep growing! A third dimension! It’s the number of multiplicity, of being complex! Of breaking out, even when there are more comfortable options!”   
   
 The storm surged around him.   
   
 Kyoutani swung his blade, shattering the winds. “It’s the number of stories—of beginnings, middles, and ends!”   
   
 Kita stepped back.   
   
 “I… left Woede.” Kyoutani’s eyes widened. “I left you… because… I can’t remember what, but there’s something I must do… something I promised to do… And I’m going to keep doing it, until that promise, is complete.”   
   
 Kita shook his head. “Not if you still want to face a Chancellor… Are you mad, Kyoutani…?” His eyes softened. “Your teammates are defeated, you are wounded and exhausted… my powers of magic may be muted, but my mana reserves have barely been touched. It is a simple matter of time, and attrition. You will fall.”   
   
 Kyoutani smirked. “Well, if that’s where this promise takes me…”   
   
 Kita closed his eyes, and craned his neck back. The storms surged around him, growing more powerful. “Then fall.”   
   
 Kyoutani slumped his shoulders.  _Sorry Yahaba…_  He fell to one knee, finding that last act had drained all he’d had left.  _Guess this promise is incomplete…_    
   
 Kita was about to cast his spell, when he paused. He saw red.   
   
 Kyoutani saw it too, and barely raised his shield in time.   
   
 A column of fire descended from the sky, hitting Kita directly.   
   
 Kyoutani hid behind the shield as the heat threatened to sear him alive.   
   
 “Daishou,” Kita said from within the flame, before he cast his own spell, shattering the column of fire.   
   
 Ash flooded the sky.   
   
 Kita’s brows knit together. “Seems I have been played…”   
   
 Kyoutani looked to the side.   
   
 Hinata was standing with another human, looking at him.   
   
 Kyoutani glanced to the other side.   
   
 Daishou stood next to Kyoutani.   
   
 Kita snapped his fingers, and a green dragon swooped near him. He threw himself back, landing perfectly on its saddle, before it flew away.   
   
 Daishou watched him fly and hummed. “Well.” He arched a brow. “Good thing I stepped in there…”   
   
 “I…” Kyoutani breathed heavy. “I didn’t. I couldn’t… beat him.”   
   
 “Have some pride, Mad Dog.”   
   
 Kyoutani looked up.   
   
 “Look at your teammates… you’re the only one still standing.” Daishou smiled. “It seems we have also… achieved our objective. The column of light is gone.”   
   
 “Mm.” Kyoutani forced himself to his feet. “Mission complete, then?”   
   
 “Well…” Dahsou smirked. “Close enough, I suppose…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sugawara took a deep breath. Daishou had healed them only enough that they wouldn’t die within an hour, but no more, before he left. He was resting against one of the earth stones Kyoutani had pulled up from the ground (apparently). Its anti-magic properties had faded, and mages were healing his wounds. He didn’t know them, but he thanked them.   
   
 Mages of Nuru.   
   
 Nuru, his eyes opened, the fifth kingdom…   
   
 “Suga…?”   
   
 Sugawara looked up.   
   
 A man stood in front of him.   
   
 Sugawara stared at him.   
   
 “It’s me… Daichi.”   
   
 Sugawara blinked. “Am I… supposed to know you?”   
   
 Daichi took a deep breath. “So… you really have lost your memories.”   
   
 “Guess so.” Sugawara smiled. “I’m sure you’re lovely, though.”   
   
 “Always a charmer…” Daichi sighed. “Your personality hasn’t changed, it seems.”   
   
 “Oh?” Sugawara grinned. “Is that a good thing?”   
   
 “Honestly? Probably not…”   
   
 Sugawara laughed. “And how, exactly, do I know a mage from Nuru?”   
   
 “I am no mage,” Daichi clarified. “But… that is… classified, to some extent.”   
   
 “Fair enough.” Sugawara eyed him carefully. “So… you guys are taking the person we found in the wreckage.”   
   
 “Y-Yes…” Daichi looked at the mage who was healing Suga, seeing that he was done. “Can you, give us a moment…?”  
   
 The mage nodded, and left.   
   
 Daichi looked at Sugawara and took a deep breath. “I’m not sure if I should tell you this, but… your teammates were around when he told us who he was, so you’ll hear it eventually.”   
   
 Sugawara blinked. “Who is he?”   
   
 “He claims to go by the name Terushima…” Daichi frowned. “And he claims to be…”   
   
 Sugawara tilted his head.   
   
 “The Chancellor of Nuru.”   
   
 Sugawara raised his head. “But… Nuru doesn’t have…”   
   
 “Exactly.” Daichi took a deep breath. “I will have to speak to our Tenno about this… but… you… You are with Valentia?”   
   
 “For now,” Sugawara said in a grin.   
   
 “Then, for now,” Daichi said as he dipped his head, “It seems we are allies.”   
   
 Sugawara nodded. “Looking forward to it.”   
   
 “That makes one of us… you are a lot of trouble to deal with.”   
   
 “Am I?” Suga chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me too much. My brother says that all the time.”   
   
 “Brother…?”   
   
 Suga blinked. “My… twin.”   
   
 “Twin…?” Daichi frowned. “I thought, you were…” He looked away. “You told me you were an only child.”   
   
 Sugawara’s lips twitched, and he grit his teeth lightly.   
   
 “Well, you were always trouble, so maybe you were lying.” Daichi forced a smile, but he didn’t seem convinced. “It was good to see you again, Koushi…”   
   
 “Ah.” Sugawara blinked. “Yes. You too, I think.”   
   
 Daichi nodded before leaving.   
   
 Sugawara hummed. “Are you gonna stay behind the rock?”   
   
 “A-Ah.” Hinata stepped out. “S-Sorry… I was… I was going to ask you something, but… I didn’t mean to walk in on you guys when you were having a uh private um conversation and—”   
   
 “That’s fine,” Sugawara assured. “What is it, Hinata?”   
   
 “Um.” Hinata sat besides him. “Thanks… for standing up for me.”   
   
 Sugawara smiled. “Don’t worry about that.”   
   
 “I’m.” Hinata swallowed hard. “That guy… Terushima… he said I was the same as him…”   
   
 “Meaning?”   
   
 “I… I don’t know… but… his mana…” Hinata hugged his knees. “It’s the same as mine… what does that make me?”   
   
 “I don’t know,” Suga said, honestly, “But. I do know… you’re one of us, okay?”   
   
 Hinata looked at him, and smiled.   
   
 Sugawara smiled as well, looking away as his mind flooded with too many questions. 


	4. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Shoutout to Rika, who is one of my long-time dedicated readers, and who is responsible for like 95% of my confidence. Rika was the one who made me fall in love with Kuroo, so seems fitting. 
> 
> Also, as a note: This fic will have a lot of minor pairings. As a rule to myself, I only tag ships that have their own long-term plotline (otherwise I feel like I'm spamming the ship tags and not really delivering to someone looking for that kind of content). There was some confusion about that last chapter. 
> 
> I'm happy that I'm getting positive feedback, though! It feels great to know you guys are enjoying this so far! But, anyway, without anymore delay... here's Chapter 4! Please enjoy it!
> 
> * * *

_“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”  
  
“Taking care of your fucking bleeding leg is what I’m doing.”   
  
“What the fuck.” Kyoutani glared. “What are you, some peasant?”   
  
Yahaba shot him a playful glare, before he looked down and sighed. “You messed it up.” His gaze darkened and he yanked the bandage tighter. “Don’t be so impatient all the time.” He sighed again, lighter this time. “You’re a royal guard. You can’t slack off, so let me help you heal.”   
  
Kyoutani said nothing, just grit his teeth._    
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Kyoutani was sitting in the dining hall, a cup of coffee gone cold in his hands. He was disconnected from reality, having zoned out. His plate of food in front of him, untouched. He didn’t notice much, until someone sat next to him; he blinked back to reality and frowned.   
  
“Hey.”   
  
“Four.”   
  
“You can call me Kuroo, if you want.” He offered a smile. “Or Tetsurou, if you want to get close.”   
  
Kyoutani brought the cup to his mouth. “Four.” He sipped, and instantly spit it out. He frowned at it.   
  
Kuroo blinked. “The coffee’s good here.”   
  
“It is…” Kyoutani stared at his cup. “I just… didn’t expect it to be cold.”   
  
“You seemed like you had a lot on your mind.”   
  
“Don’t fucking mother hen me,” Kyoutani grumbled.   
  
“Mother hen…?”   
  
“I saw what you did with Five, and Fourteen… keeping your eyes on them.” Kyoutani glared. “You always want to help, don’t you?”   
  
“Is that a bad thing?” Kuroo frowned. “To want to help?”   
  
Kyoutani scoffed.   
  
“Are you… okay?”   
  
“I’m fine.” Kyoutani opened his mouth to say something else, but paused. He pursed his lips. “I just… Memories…”   
  
Kuroo’s eyes widened. “Your memories… They’re back?”   
  
“Sort of…” Kyoutani scowled. “I remembered, someone important to me… but I can’t remember who he was, or why he was in my life.”   
  
“Ah.” Kuroo frowned. “Akaashi felt the same, saying he felt only bits and pieces at first.”   
  
“Annoying bits… annoying pieces…”   
  
“I can imagine you feel frustrated.” Kuroo smiled. “Akaashi said he remembered more as he walked around Valentia, Kageyama too. I’m sure that can jog your memory.”   
  
“It won’t.” Kyoutani tensed his jaw as he looked at his cup of cold black coffee. “Not from Valentia.”   
  
“You—” Kuroo’s eyes widened. “You’re not…?”   
  
“Woede.” Kyoutani frowned slightly. “But… that’s fine. I know I’ve got to be here. That’s all.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
After an awkward cup of coffee and four failed attempts at conversation, Kuroo sighed as he got up and walked away. He refilled his cup of coffee and heard footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder.   
  
Kiyoko turned, so her back was against the wall next to the coffee station, and she crossed her arms. “Did he recover his memories?”   
  
Kuroo paused as he poured the sweet cream into his cup. “Yes.” He finished added the cream and put it down. “You figured that out?”   
  
“He’s had severe…” Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “Behavioural changes…”   
  
“Right.” Kuroo nodded. “Only awakening our old memories can cause that much conflict.”   
  
“I’ve.” Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve looked into the library, and reports… most of the data around us, and our past lives, are in lockdown… but I have been able to gather that some of us are from Valentia… and others are not.”   
  
“He’s from Woede.”   
  
Kiyoko blinked. “How did you know?”   
  
“Uh.” Kuroo looked at her. “I asked?”   
  
“Oh.”   
  
Kuroo smiled, sipping his coffee.   
  
“Well.” Kiyoko moved away from the wall, uncrossing her arms. “My point is… we had best get ready… to shut him down, if he… acts up.”   
  
Kuroo blinked, coffee against his lips but not drinking.   
  
Kiyoko left after that.   
  
“Heartless,” came a muffled voice.   
  
Kuroo looked over.   
  
Kenma watched her go, through the invisible slits for vision in his mask. “You know… people murmur things about her…”   
  
“About Twelve?”   
  
“Mhm… the workers, in the palace… they say she changed…”   
  
“Yeah.” Kuroo nodded. “I hear it too.”   
  
Kenma nodded.   
  
“She pointed out Kyoutani changed, after getting his memories back… will she too?” He looked at Kenma. “Will we?”   
  
Kenma’s eyes drifted along the tables at the other side. “One of us never lost our memories…” His eyes drifted from Shirabu to Hinata, “And one of us never had memories to begin with.”   
  
“Maybe.” Kuroo stared at his cup of coffee. “I don’t know.”   
  
“Kuro.”   
  
Kuroo looked at him. “That’s a weird way to say my name.”   
  
Kenma ignored the comment; instead, he murmured, “What did we get ourselves into?”   
  
“I don’t know… but we’re in this together. It’s important we stay together, and work together.”   
  
Kenma made an amused noise.   
  
“Kitten?”   
  
Kenma shook his head. “You trust me too much…”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Akaashi knocked on the door, twice. “Bokuto?” he called out, “It’s me… your…” He rolled his eyes. “Your Owlet.”   
  
There was no reply.   
  
Akaashi sighed, and turned away.   
  
Kuroo, who had been walking towards him, blinked. “He locked himself up in there again?”   
  
“Yes…”   
  
“You know, we can go in. Barge in.”   
  
“I am aware.” Akaashi bit his lip. “But should we?”   
  
Kuroo walked over and grabbed the door handle. He turned it, and the door opened. “It’s an invitation to me, Akaashi.”   
  
“Is it now?” Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of, you can refer to me as Keiji if you want.”   
  
“K-Kei…” Kuroo blushed. “Akaashi is pretty good.”   
  
“I remembered this morning, that Kenma and Bokuto referred to me by first name, but you would get too embarrassed to do so.” Akaashi smiled. “I wondered if that held up.”   
  
“We’re not talking about me!”   
  
Akaashi nodded. “Fair.” He pushed the door open. “Bokuto!” he raised his voice, “It is me, and Tetsurou. Kuroo.”   
  
They stepped into the apartment together.   
  
Everything was clean, spotless.   
  
Untouched.   
  
Unused.   
  
The room was mirrored to their suites, as odds and evens were arranged together, but they eventually found the bedroom, and found a lump of a body under several blankets.   
  
Kuroo’s eyes softened. “Bo.”   
  
Bokuto, under the covers, murmured, “This is embarrassing now…”   
  
Akaashi smiled. “How so?”   
  
Bokuto sighed. “Because I’m hiding like a kid, under my duvet.”   
  
Akaashi wanted to walk over, sit next to him, yet… he stopped himself. “It gives you comfort. It doesn’t matter how you get it, as long as it is comforting.”   
  
Kuroo walked over and sat at the edge of the bed. “Talk to us, Bo.”   
  
Akaashi moved closer as well, but stood.   
  
Bokuto had his back to them and he squished his eyes closed. “Listen, I don’t wanna be a dick or anything but… I don’t even know you guys.”   
  
Akaashi smiled. “My memories—”   
  
“Exactly!  _Your_  memories…” Bokuto sighed. “They’re not mine… I don’t have mine…”   
  
“You’ll get them back,” Kuroo assured, though he had doubts. “We all will.”   
  
“What if I don’t want them back?”   
  
Akaashi blinked. “Bokuto?”   
  
“What if I remember things I don’t want to…” Bokuto opened his eyes and stared at the wall. “Kageyama… he was a criminal, right?”   
  
“Yes.” Akaashi bit his lip. “But he hasn’t opened much about that to us, though.”   
  
“He was a good person, even though he was a criminal right?”   
  
“I would say so,” Kuroo spoke quietly. “The Queen thinks so.”   
  
“So…” Bokuto closed his eyes again. “What if I was a bad person… what if I am a bad person.”   
  
Akaashi crossed the remaining distance. “Bokuto—”   
  
Kuroo raised his arm, to stop Akaashi from lunging at Bokuto.   
  
“Bokuto…” Akaashi moved away. “They wouldn’t allow bad people to do what we’re doing. I don’t believe that is what the Queen or the Chancellor would want.”   
  
Bokuto hummed. “We don’t know that, though… Don’t you guys feel it too? We trust Daishou so much… why? I don’t know… he has his goals, and I think he’s above caring about that stuff… good and bad… he doesn’t have time for them. He doesn’t care if they’re the meanest, or the baddest… he just wanted the strongest.”   
  
“Bo.”   
  
Bokuto turned to look at them.   
  
Akaashi felt his heart break.   
  
“Akaashi,” Kuroo spoke quietly, “Come here.”   
  
Akaashi sat on the bed as well, facing Kuroo.   
  
Kuroo took Akaashi’s hands, and then Bokuto’s as well. He brought them together. “I don’t have my memories either…” But this, this felt like it should. “But good and bad… that stuff is in the past. If you want to be good, then be good moving forward. Right?”   
  
Bokuto looked at him, eyes widening a little.   
  
Kuroo leaned over, kissing his temple.   
  
“Kuroo…” He suddenly frowned. “But I thought.” He looked at Akaashi. “I thought, we—”   
  
“The three of us,” Akaashi explained. “Well… four… but…”   
  
“But,” Bokuto said, “Kitten needs space.”   
  
“See?” Kuroo grinned. “You’ve got some memory of it.”   
  
“Oh.” Bokuto blinked. He looked at Akaashi. “You remember… you gotta know, if I was a good person or not. You would remember for sure!”   
  
“I…” Akaashi took in a deep breath. “The Chancellor asked me not to reveal…”   
  
“Oh…”   
  
Akaashi took Bokuto’s hands and kissed them. “I wish I could.”   
  
Bokuto smiled a little, but he pulled his hands away and covered his head. “I uh, I kinda wanna be alone, if that’s okay…”   
  
“I…” Akaashi’s eyes squished shut. He wanted to be here, he wanted so badly to be here—   
  
“Okay,” Kuroo said quietly. “We’ll let you be alone… but we’re going to come check up on you if you don’t come out.”   
  
“Okay.” Bokuto nodded. “I’ll be ready if they, uh, call me for a mission, anyway…”   
  
Kuroo leaned over, giving another kiss, to his cheek this time. “I’m proud of you.”   
  
Bokuto said nothing.   
  
Akaashi leaned over as well, kissing his forehead, then his cheek, then the corner of his mouth.   
  
The two of them left.   
  
Standing outside Bokuto’s suite, a chilly wind blew.   
  
Kuroo pulled Akaashi close, wrapping his arms around him. He nuzzled into Akaashi’s neck. A part of him wanted to say he was doing this for Akaashi, but he was doing this more for himself and he knew that. “He’ll be okay.”   
  
“Absolutely.” Akaashi let himself relax in the embrace, hugging Kuroo back as much as he could. “It just… it’s so hard to see him hurting… there’s so much I could tell him, so many stories… I don’t know when, or how, or even  _if_  his memories will come back…”   
  
Kuroo pulled away a bit. “He’ll remember. You’ll tell him.”   
  
“You too.” Akaashi’s eyes softened. “There’s so much I want to tell you… and Kenma. All of you. So much I want to say.”   
  
Kuroo kissed his cheek, nuzzling it after despite the wetness.   
  
Akaashi melted into the touch and held on to it. “We’ll be okay.”   
  
“Yeah.” Kuroo pulled away a bit, remembering where they were. “We’ll focus on the war.”   
  
“Yes.” Akaashi moved a hand up, wiping away wetness from his eyes. “I’m an A-Class Frost Mage, a Dragoon. I don’t have time for this.”   
  
Kuroo took his free hand, and held it.   
  
Akaashi squeezed it and nodded. “Thank you.”   
  
“My pleasure.”   
  
“Your pleasure?” Akaashi smirked. “Are you always this kind?”   
  
“Huh?” Kuroo frowned. “Are you making fun of me?”   
  
“Yes.” Akaashi laughed. “It was… a thing you used to say. It was always true, but we teased you endlessly for it.”   
  
Kuroo frowned. “And what did we tease you about?”   
  
“Not telling.”   
  
“Damnit.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Kageyama kept his hood up. He walked through the streets of Valentia, mind lost in thought. There were so many fears and anxieties welling up inside him, but… but he decided he had to do this. He had to make sure this was done right. Even if they forgot him, even if they hated him, he had to absolutely make sure—   
  
“Why am I coming with you?” Hinata whined, “Where are we even going?”   
  
“Shut up.” Kageyama frowned. “Daishou asked me to bring you along.”   
  
Hinata threw his arms behind his head, letting them rest there. “Well, I have nothing to do anyway.”   
  
“Useless.” Kageyama scowled. “You could be training, or reading up on war issues, or getting to know our formations and strategies.”   
  
“You could be training,” Hinata mocked in a high pitched voice, “Or reading up on war issues, or—”   
  
“Shut up.” Kageyama looked around. “Does any of this look familiar to you?”   
  
“Nope.” Hinata looked around. “Are we in a poor part of town now?”   
  
“Yes.” Kageyama looked around, eyes softening. “These streets are familiar to me… You’ve never been here?”   
  
“Nope.”   
  
“As I thought.”   
  
“You’re probing my lack of memories again, huh?”   
  
Kageyama frowned.   
  
“Hey, what do you think of Eight?”   
  
“I don’t know.”   
  
“He apparently still has his memories. Isn’t that weird? He never lost them.”   
  
“Maybe you make up for him.”   
  
“I don’t just make up for someone, you know!” Hinata frowned. “I’m my own person.”   
  
“You have no proof that.”   
  
“Hey! I—”   
  
“We’re here.”   
  
Hinata paused and looked at the building. He read the sign and he blinked. “An orphanage?”   
  
Kageyama merely murmured, “Home.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Stepping inside was the scariest thing Kageyama had ever done. He recognised them instantly. Akane Yamamoto and Tora Yamamoto were just as indistinguishable as they were in their teens. Kageyama saw them, talking and working with their kids. He wanted to say something, to clear his throat, to make them notice him, but… nothing.   
  
“Hello!” Hinata chirped up.   
  
Kageyama shot him a glare.   
  
“Huh?” Akane looked over her shoulder. “Sorry we’re not open to the public, this is—”   
  
Kageyama pulled back his hood.   
  
Akane stared, mouth still open, words having died on her lips. “Tobi… Tobio…” Her eyes widened. “Tobio!” She ran towards him. “Tobio!”   
  
Kageyama let her crash into him, wrapping his arms around her.   
  
“What—What are you…” She pulled away to stare at him. “What are you doing here? They’re going to catch you! Did you escape, did you…” Her eyes noticed his cloak, his uniforms. “The Fires of Valentia…” She stepped back. “You’re… you’re one of the…”   
  
“Yes.” Kageyama swallowed hard. “I am one of the Fires.”   
  
Her eyes watered.   
  
Someone else walked in, making an ugly face. “Who’s this!?” But he blinked twice, and his eyes widened so much they almost popped out. “Tob… N-No w-way!”   
  
Hinata blinked. “You’re pretty popular.”   
  
“Well.” Kageyama sighed. “This was my home.”   
  
“You!” Akane’s eyes poured hot tears. “They didn’t kill you… We thought…”   
  
“You assaulted the Queen!” Tora shouted, “You—We thought for sure you were…”   
  
“They didn’t kill me.” Kageyama looked down. “Because I chose not to kill her.”   
  
“You.” Akane’s hand formed into a fist and she punched his chest as hard as she could. “Dammit, Tobio!”   
  
Kageyama coughed and fell over. “I didn’t want to kill her!”   
  
“I don’t care about that!” Akane fell on top of him and grabbed his collar. “I thought you were dead! All this time!… All this fucking time!”   
  
Hinata perked up, “H-Hey it’s not like he had a choice! He was locked away for a long time!”   
  
Akane let go of his collar. “Who’s this?”   
  
“I’m Hinata Sh—”   
  
“An idiot!” Kageyama somehow pulled out from under Akane and stood up. He dusted himself off. “Look. I just… I came here as soon as I could… I’m. Um. S-Sorry. Okay?”   
  
Akane hugged him again, squeezing him.   
  
Tora ran over as well, lunging at him with a hug.   
  
Hinata backed away.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Hinata watched for a while, sitting on one of the benches that was near the entrance to the orphanage. It occurred to him, maybe for the first time, he had nowhere to go. Nowhere to go where people would hug him if he went missing. he had no one. Ever. He never had anyone.   
  
He slipped away after that.   
  
He was a fake after all.   
  
Kageyama asked him, hours later, where he went.   
  
Hinata made up an excuse about how he didn’t want to intrude on Kageyama’s family.   
  
Kageyama seemed to… appreciate it, and he left.   
  
Family.   
  
Hinata looked up at the stars that night, wondering if somewhere out there… he had, ever had, or would ever have a family.   
  
And he stared at the stars; and, though they couldn’t reply, Hinata knew the answer was no, no, and no.   
  
Hinata was alone in this world.   
  
That was normal, maybe, he mused, when he was never supposed to exist.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Ushijima had simply ordered, “Call them in.”   
  
And they came.   
  
All fourteen of them.   
  
Ushijima stood before the world map and looked at each of them. “As you were informed, the Queen would not always have time to be dealing with you directly. As such, I will be taking over our mission briefings fully. As you know, I am your Commanding Officer. Sky Captain Goshiki Tsutomu has proven himself and has earned, by Her Majesty’s choice, the title of Second-In-Command of this unit.”   
  
Goshiki saluted them.   
  
They saluted in return.   
  
Ushijima nodded. “You will still be dealing with…” His eyes drifted to the side. “Lord Daishou, occasionally as well…”   
  
Daishou just grinned.   
  
“However,” Ushijima murmured, “He has informed both myself and Her Majesty, that he will need to spend most of his time away from the military from now on. This is in part because of our discovery in Nuru, regarding a fifth Chancellor…”   
  
Hinata swallowed hard.   
  
“Nuru has agreed to aid us.” Ushijima nodded. “You’ve won us a powerful ally in this multifaceted war. It will be time before they can fully mobilise their army, but another threat is now brewing close by.” He motioned towards what seemed to be a coastal town, highlighted green. “Things have escalated fast. This is one of Woede’s outposts, and it has been besieged by our enemy.”   
  
“Why?” Akaashi’s eyes narrowed. “They’ve made an enemy of Valentia and Nuru… now they attack Woede?”   
  
“They saw a chance,” Daishou explained, “And they took it. They managed to capture Shinsuke Kita, the Chancellor of Wind.”   
  
Kyoutani scowled. “How?”   
  
Kageyama nodded. “A mage of that much power…”   
  
“Kita is more powerful than you all,” Daishou warned. “Even my strike against him was only effective because you all wore him out, and he was standing in an anti-magic zone while I struck from outside.”   
  
“Then…” Kyoutani’s scowl deepened. “How!?”   
  
“Well.” Daishou smirked. “Each nation has a Chancellor. Alisa—”   
  
“She wouldn’t,” said Shirabu.   
  
Daishou eyed him for a moment. “I am aware of that. Even if the Emperor asked her to go to war… she wouldn’t act directly against Kita.” He scratched his chin for a moment, sucking in a breath. “That only leaves Sakusa.”   
  
Goshiki scowled. “L-Lord D-Daishou… That is a large accusation to make! Sakusa is the Chancellor of Earth!”   
  
“He wouldn’t do it himself,” Daishou murmured, “But he has subordinates.”   
  
Goshiki opened his mouth again—   
  
“He is correct,” Ushijima interrupted.   
  
“Let me say something,” Daishou said with a blank expression, “This whole war is because of Sakusa. The Rahni of Earth is just his puppet… our enemy is the Chancellor of Earth. He is directly responsible for everything that is happening. Now, he has struck against Woede—we will use this to our advantage. Go directly to Woede’s coastal town, free Kita, and win Woede over before they’re wiped out!”   
  
Kyoutani’s eyes widened.   
  
Daishou raised his chin. “You won’t be coming home for a while, so make sure you have everything you need. Get ready. You’re dismissed.”   
  
Ushijima shot him a glare.   
  
Daishou ignored it.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
“Let’s fly!”   
  
Some, like Semi, seemed amused when Goshiki yelled the same thing again, others – like Shirabu – seemed openly disgusted by it.   
  
But Kuroo cared little about that. He stayed near the middle of the ship, watching Bokuto. Bokuto was near the front, leaning on the railing, looking out. Kuroo’s eyes softened. The way Bokuto’s shoulders seemed to slump, like meat falling off a bone, made Kuroo take a deep breath.   
  
“Mm.”   
  
Kuroo glanced over.   
  
Kenma had approached without making a sound. He glanced up at Kuroo (or at least Kuroo assumed, given the slight tilt of his mask). “Does he mean something to you?”   
  
“Yes,” Kuroo answered firmly.   
  
“You don’t have any memories, but you say it easily.”   
  
“I don’t need memories.” Kuroo smiled. “I just feel it.”   
  
Kenma tilted his head to the side. “Interesting.”   
  
“He’s.” Kuroo glanced to Bokuto. “He’s important to you too, actually.”   
  
“Hm… don’t remember.”   
  
“And Akaashi?”   
  
“Don’t remember.”   
  
“Then.” Kuroo frowned. “Why do you remember me?”   
  
“I don’t.” Kenma raised his hand slightly and flicked his hand, causing his sleeve to move away, revealing a tattoo on his wrist. It was the shape of a semi-colon, something that could have ended—but went on.   
  
Kuroo pulled his own sleeve, revealing the same tattoo.   
  
“I assumed it meant something, of what… I don’t know,” Kenma mused, “But I have no memory, or feeling, to back it up.”   
  
“Kenma.” Kuroo looked at his own tattoo. “We—”   
  
The airship rocked, and Kuroo fell backwards. Kenma grabbed him, to soften the landing, and scoured the ship.   
  
“Hey!” Shirabu yelled at Goshiki, “What’s going on?”   
  
“There’s strong winds!” Goshiki yelled back, “Everyone be careful!”   
  
“The winds are magical in nature,” Sugawara spoke up. “It might be from Woede’s shield.”   
  
“That’s impossible!” Goshiki blinked. “We’re very far from Woede!”   
  
“Sky Captain.” Ushijima stepped forward. “Number Six, Sugawara Koushi, is wind elemental. I would put trust in his judgement.”   
  
The ship rocked again.   
  
Goshiki meeped. “We’ve got to fly lower! Hold on!”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The airship did indeed, fly lower.   
  
The nation of Woede was built atop a great tree, where a green crystal had broken the water’s surface and flooded the area with magic. That crystal created a shield around Woede, that caused any incoming airships to halt and declare their purpose before being allowed in. In times of war, however, Woede’s shield could also be used offensively—by pushing back anything in the airspace.   
  
Sugawara quickly surmised now was one of those times.   
  
On a clear day, the great tree of Woede could be seen from Valentia, but now storm clouds were swirling around it.   
  
Sugawara sang to the winds, and the winds sang to him. “Woede is under attack, by airships of Rodzina.” He turned to them. “We have no way of getting there to help them.”   
  
“That’s fine,” Kuroo said. When he got a few glares, he raised his hands defensively. “I mean, our goal is to get to their coastal outpost, right? We can deal with the barrier problem later.”   
  
“Right,” Kenma murmured just enough that he could be heard. “One thing at a time…”   
  
Akaashi nodded. “It will be a large battle, with all of us participating. The important part is not to let them divide and conquer us.”   
  
“Well.” Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “We have to locate the Chancellor first. Keep your sending stones on you, and communicate. As we practiced.”   
  
Ushijima nodded. “Goshiki, find a place to drop them off.”   
  
“Okay!”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The occupied city was soon overrun. All of them fought, and fought hard. Kageyama’s cords of magic slaughter scores, while Akaashi’s lance of ice skewered his enemies from close and afar, as Kyoutani’s sword and shield charge tore open their lines. The three of them led the charge, notably stronger than the rest.   
  
Hinata, too, was showing his colours.   
  
The nation of Rodzina had a greater air fleet, and thus primarily focused their attack on the Great Tree. Chhal, a desert nation, had more magi and they commanded the beasts.   
  
Hinata quickly surmised Chhal was responsible for chaining up the Chancellor of Wind, and he thought of what Daishou said about Sakusa.   
  
Hinata sliced with his scythe, gathering Death, and using it for the next strike.   
  
In a way, he bounced between his targets and danced through the ranks.   
  
Several feet away, Kiyoko drew another arrow and knocked it in her bow. She shot at the winged beasts to give her allies support fire, and each shot blasted with a shockwave of force.   
  
Kuroo, on the other hand, held a weapon that wasn’t popular given its long reload time. A firearm. His was more advanced than the muskets the current nations had developed, and his shots set his enemies aflame.   
  
Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “We’re advancing, but the beasts seem never ending…”   
  
Kuroo fired again and cocked the side handle to reload. “We need to get to the Chancellor. He should let our ship through the barrier, too, right? We—”   
  
A beast lunged at him.   
  
But a lance of ice speared it.   
  
“Thanks Akaashi!”   
  
But the person who wielded that lance was not Two, but the one who wore a mask.   
  
“Ken…ma…?”   
  
After that one strike, Kenma’s lance disappeared in a shimmer of light. He swiped his arms and a sword and shield appeared. Again, after a single strike, his weapon was gone. He switched to a whip-blade and took out two more enemies before it was gone. Changing again, he created a firearm and fired.   
  
“You—”   
  
“Pay attention to your surroundings,” Kenma murmured.   
  
“Uh. Yeah.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Hinata and Kageyama eventually took over the charge. Hinata had detected the Chancellor with his magic and led the rest of the team. Kageyama, refusing to let Hinata lead him, ran side by side with him as they charged into a crowd of enemies.   
  
A beast lunged.   
  
Hinata sliced it open. “There! That building!”   
  
There was a prison-like building with a high wall and a closed gate.   
  
Kageyama spun, releasing cords outwards, slashing and slicing the soldiers that were defending it from above.   
  
Hinata charged at the door and crashed into it with a strike, blasting it open and sending the wooden doors and their splinters flying into a crowd of defenders.   
  
A winged beast swooped down on Hinata.   
  
But a shadow burst from the ground and slashed it open with two short swords. “Gotchya!”   
  
Hinata blinked as he looked back. “U-Uh, thanks! You’re…”   
  
“It’s-a-me! Number Lucky Seven! Tendou Satori!” He gripped his blades and his body began to blur back into the ground, rejoining the shadows. “I got your back, buddy. Keep the charge going, Monster Man!”   
  
Hinata grinned, nodding. “Okay!”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
A howl from the center of the town erupted as something massive was crashing through buildings, setting them on fire with its flaming scales. In the shape of a basilisk lizard, the beast was more defined than the rest, and far larger.   
  
It crashed into a three story building and shattered it, sending burning wood everywhere, on other buildings.   
  
And soon the city was set aflame.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Daishou watched from atop one of the buildings. He was sitting on the rooftop, one knee up, watching his little pawns, his little experiments, run through the streets. He… truly, he just wanted to see Kita’s face when this mission was a success, but he didn’t expect the beast.   
  
No.   
  
“Sakusa…” Daishou smirked. “You’re getting serious with me, finally.”   
  
After all, this was a bit like a duel between the two of them.   
  
Rook to 5-E.   
  
Bishop to 4-G.   
  
A game of chess, that held thousands of lives prisoner.   
  
“I didn’t expect you to get so serious so soon,” he murmured to himself, “But this should make it more interesting…”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Kuroo wanted to analyse the beast more, but Kiyoko had already shouted orders—splitting their team in half. Half would deal with the beast, the others would focus on rescuing the Chancellor of Wind. It made sense, to Kuroo, and he knew fast action was better than thinking too long, but…   
  
The plan quickly showed its flaws.   
  
Kyoutani jumped back, as Shirabu and Tendou did the same.   
  
The units who attacked with close range couldn’t get close to the flaming beast.   
  
Kuroo considered asking Akaashi and Bokuto, Ice and Water, for help – but they had been pushed to the other team, while this team had already led the beast a distance away.   
  
The beast struck.   
  
Kiyoko threw herself between rooftops, firing an arrow before landing.   
  
Her shot pushed the beast back and it cried in pain.   
  
Kuroo fired as well, chipping off scales and making blood splash into the air.   
  
Their melee units were useless, leaving only Kiyoko and him. He had to think of something. His eyes drifted to the side, and. “A coastal town—the ocean.” He looked back to find Kiyoko, but she was dodging another strike and firing at its legs. She was looking for a weak spot.   
  
The beast crashed into another building.   
  
The city had been evacuated, but that was somebody’s home.   
  
Somebody no longer had a place to come home too.   
  
Kuroo shook his head. He didn’t have time for contemplation. He needed to fight! He needed to—   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
_“What’s wrong?”  
  
Kuroo lifted his head, realising he must have zoned out. They were in a war room of sorts, a meeting room… but… This was from before? They were soldiers, even before this? “We attack from… the east, right?”   
  
“Yeah, man.” Bokuto smiled. “We went over this. Did you forget already?”   
  
“Ah, yeah.” He scratched the back of his head. “Must have.”   
  
“Did you?” came the cool voice of Akaashi, whose arms were crossed, eyes soft.   
  
Kuroo looked at him.   
  
“You seemed… hesitant.” Akaashi shifted his weight to his other leg. “To agree to the plan in the first place.”   
  
Bokuto looked at Akaashi, then him. “Yo, Kuroo, do you not like the plan?”   
  
“Well, nothing new…” Kuroo took a deep breath. “The civilians escaped east… but…”   
  
“Like you said,” Akaashi murmured, “There is no other way. I don’t like it either, they’ll be in danger, but this is the way we have to move forward.”_    
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The lizard screamed again, releasing a heatwave that hit like a wall of bricks. Kuroo yelled as he was thrown back against roof tiles, but Kiyoko wasn’t so lucky.   
  
Kiyoko had been leaping between buildings when it released its heatwave, and her body was flung into the streets below.   
  
Kuroo looked up, eyes wide.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
_“Yeah.” Kuroo sighed. “It’s… it’s like I said. There’s no other choice…”_    
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Rubble falling from a damaged building fell on top of her and Kiyoko struggled to shove it off.   
  
Kuroo scrambled to his feet.   
  
She was trapped.   
  
And the beast was charging.   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
_“Would you stop… with your bullshit, Kuro?”  
  
Kuroo blinked, glancing over.   
  
Kenma was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, looking down. “If you thought of something, just tell us.”   
  
“Ah.” Kuroo swallowed hard.   
  
Bokuto looked between them. “What’s up, man? You got something? Got a way to fix it?”   
  
“If you do,” Akaashi said, “I’m all ears.”   
  
Kuroo shook his head. “It won’t work, it’s—”   
  
“Captain.”   
  
Captain?   
  
He was… their captain?   
  
“Captain,” Kenma said with a certain amount of loving disdain, “We trust you.”   
  
Kuroo stared at him, then Bokuto, then Akaashi—each had nodded in turn.   
  
Kenma’s gaze was firm.   
  
Kuroo swallowed hard. “I know it won’t be easy.” He pointed to the map. “But if we attack from the north-west… we won’t have the cover of the cliffside, but there is a treeline. We have to be careful about their magic sentries, but we can draw the enemy out into the forest then try picking them off with stealth tactics before charging the camp.”   
  
Bokuto thought about it for a moment then nodded firmly.   
  
Akaashi hummed. “It will be challenging, but… it will be easier than worrying about civilians being caught in the crossfire of our spells.”   
  
“Yeah!” Bokuto grinned, but his grin faltered. “But, uh… why didn’t you say something?”   
  
Kuroo tensed.   
  
Three pairs of eyes staring at him.   
  
“Look, guys…” Kuroo took a deep breath, looking down. “I’m… I’m new to this Captain thing… you guys have good ideas, and I don’t… I don’t know… I don’t know if I’m the one who should be taking charge.”   
  
“But.” Bokuto looked at him. “You’re a born leader.”   
  
Kuroo looked at him.   
  
“Tetsurou,” Akaashi said softly, “You’re trying hard to make sure each of us have a say in our missions, and that is critical for a small specialised team like this. That’s not lost on any of us… but we need a Captain too. It was your brilliant, beautiful mind that earned you the title, so wear it proudly.”   
  
Kuroo’s fingers twitched and he looked away.   
  
“Kuro.”   
  
Kuroo took a deep breath before looking at Kenma.   
  
“We trust you with our lives.” Kenma eyed him. “Because you already earned that trust from us.”_    
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The lizard charged.   
  
Kuroo leapt off the building, throwing himself to the streets below.  _Kiyoko, I have to get to Kiyoko!_  He ran towards her, each step taking forever, hyper aware of every second that passed. The lizard was gaining on him, and he had to get there in time.   
  
Kiyoko was looking at him, making eye contact.   
  
_She’s scared._  He had never seen her like this.  _I would be too—I am, too. I’m scared right now. I’m so scared, but—_  He ran towards her, summoning his firearm. He fired, and his shot blasted a chunk of rubble off her.   
  
The lizard was right behind him.   
  
_If I had time, just a little bit more time…_    
  
And, high atop one of the rooftops, Kenma forged Kuroo’s firearm and took a shot.   
  
The lizard was thrown back, not much, but just enough.   
  
Kuroo grabbed the metal pipe that was crushing Kiyoko; and, with all his might, he yelled as he threw it aside.   
  
“Thank you!” Kiyoko  _yelled_  in her desperation.   
  
The lizard lunged again.   
  
Kuroo grabbed her and lept away, just in time, as the lizard crashed into the building just in front of him.   
  
Finding their way onto the rooftops again, Kuroo asked, “Can you move?”   
  
“Enough.” Kiyoko gasped sharply, pouring her magic into a healing spell.   
  
“I have an idea.” Kuroo swallowed hard. “We need to guide it towards the coast. Are you with me?”   
  
Kiyoko looked at him. “Of course.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
The one good thing about the lizard, is that it liked chasing them. Leading it to the ocean was the easy part, but it wasn’t going to jump in—it had, to an extent, sentience.   
  
Kuroo was aware of that.   
  
Kiyoko lead it near the water and turn to Kuroo giving him the signal.   
  
Kuroo took a deep breath and his gun revved with magic. “Four.”   
  
The lizard spun to look at him, as if sensing a threat.   
  
“It’s the number of connection.” Kuroo closed his eyes. “Like a four leaf clover, or the four bonds of carbon, the four winds… four corners. Four cardinal directions.” His eyes snapped open. “It’s the power to reach out in any direction, and to find something, to connect.”   
  
His gun began to shake from the magic stored inside.   
  
“Like four elements, and four seasons—connections are ever changing and longlasting.” He held up his gun and prepared the shot. “Four is the number of connection!”   
  
The beast lunged.   
  
Kuroo pulled the trigger and the light around them blacked out and flickered before he fired his shot.   
  
The beast was thrown back from the force and landed in the water with a heavy splash. There was a scream, muffled by the sound of steam erupting all around the flaming lizard. It’s body began to warp and crumple, turning into stone as the cold waters washed over its burning scales.   
  
Kiyoko soon joined him, watching the cloud of steam rising into the air. “It’s going to rain.”   
  
“Good.” Kuroo laughed. “Half the fucking city’s on fire.”   
  
Kiyoko let out a sigh. “That was a good plan. Thank you.”   
  
Kuroo shook his head. “Happy to help.”   
  
“I was…” Kiyoko’s eyes softened, but she cut herself off. Instead, she smiled.   
  
Kuroo blinked, not knowing if he had ever seen her smile before.   
  
“Four, Twelve!”   
  
Kuroo looked over his shoulder and Kiyoko turned around.   
  
Shirabu was walking towards them, Kenma just behind. “I tried to get through to you with the stones, to report what was going on our side… but it seemed you two were… busy.”   
  
Kuroo nodded. “And thanks, Kitten, for helping us out.”   
  
Kenma glanced away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”   
  
Kuroo laughed.   
  
Kiyoko and Shirabu seemed confused.   
  
“Bet you’re happy you got that mask,” Kuroo teased, “‘Cause you’re blushing under there, aren’t you?”   
  
“Tch.”   
  
Kuroo laughed. “Sorry.” He turned to Shirabu. “Report.”   
  
  
~ ~ ~   
  
  
Sakusa sat in a large circular study, high walls filled with books. The personal library also had running blue waters from the ceiling to the pools on the floor, as most of Rodzina did. Their symbolism for water, the way their flaunted it… Sakusa had a sense of bitterness. Being the Chancellor to a desert nation, where no one’s lips were ever parched, a part of him resented this happy little kingdom.   
  
But he reigned in his emotions.   
  
He was not here to think about resources, or civilians. No. “Thank you,” he said as he eyed the woman who was sitting on the other side of the desk, “For letting me use your study during my stay here.”   
  
“Come, Sakusa… we are friends.”   
  
“Yes, I suppose we are…” Sakusa rested his chin on his hands as he leaned over the table, eyes unfocused. “Forgive my bitterness… I just, never thought Daishou would…” His eyes glanced to her. “Alisa.”   
  
Chancellor of Water, Alisa Haiba, raised her head from the report she was reading and put a smile on. “Yes, Sakusa?”   
  
“Our countries are unified in this war.”   
  
“Of course we are, as we have been.”   
  
“Tell me… do you understand what that… snake is up to now?”   
  
“Perhaps he’s interested in the same thing you are,” she said with a certain aloofness. “After all, that’s what this war is, isn’t it? Our nations are all caught up between two power-hungry fools trying to destroy the world.”   
  
“Alisa! I am trying to create a new society—”   
  
“Yes, yes, oh yes.” She laughed a little. “I forgot! You’ve said this to me a few times before.”   
  
Sakusa sighed. “How you manage to be so cheerful is beyond me…”   
  
“Truly? After all these hundreds of years, you still find me mystifying?”   
  
Sakusa scoffed and grabbed the tomes of magic he was reading. He stood up. “Forevermore, Alisa, you will never make any sense to me.” He smiled at her, though, dipping his head as he headed out.   
  
Alisa’s aloof little smile dropped when he was gone, and her eyes narrowed. “Are you done hiding in shadows?”   
  
There was a small squeak from behind a stream of downward water.   
  
“You may be able to hide from him, little one,” she continued, “But you cannot hide from me. Here, in the realm of water, his power is muted… and mine tenfolds.” She offered a smile, a more sincere one this time. “But I will not punish you. Don’t worry. You are friend here.”   
  
The person behind the water stepped out, wearing a black robe and hood.   
  
Alisa watched them for a moment. “Sakusa wouldn’t like you skulking around. You had best watch yourself.”   
  
“You knew it was me?”   
  
“Your hood hides you well,” Alisa noted, “But I don’t know how you manage anything stealthy, with that bright orange hair of yours.” 


	5. Kindness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yahaba's not one of the Fires, but shoutout to Kiwi who inspires me a lot with their Yahaba, and also makes me smile a lot. Thanks, Kiwi. <3 
> 
> I mentioned being behind in my updates, but with this I'm more or less back on track for this fic! In a few days I'll post a chapter of my other fic and I'll be fully caught up. Thank you guys for all your supports and comments, they mean so much to me, swafesgefgr waidjawio wa faof wao wf. I'm so happy to have the readers I do, ;. ;. I'm gonna go back to my weekly update schedule, alternating between this and Soldiers // Prepare // Kill (my sci-fi fic). I hope you check that one out as well!
> 
> But, for now, enjoy Chapter 5!
> 
> * * *

 Semi stepped forward, amidst the ash and dust that flooded the sky. “We need your help. We need—”   
   
 “—Wait, man.” Bokuto kneeled over, handing his waterskin. “Drink.”   
   
 Shinsuke Kita took the waterskin and began chugging it. He drank several mouthfuls before gasping for air.   
   
 “He looks exhausted,” Bokuto murmured. “Wait a bit, okay?”   
   
 Semi bit his lip, but nodded firmly.   
   
 Yamaguchi put his hands behind his back. “Chancellor, we can wait as long as you need, but…”   
   
 “But Woede burns every second I spend to rest.” Kita closed his eyes for a moment. “Still, if that is the second that gives me the strength to whip the fires away, I will take it.” He drank again from the waterskin.   
   
 “We released you from the arcane prison,” Yamaguchi explained, “But we must get back to our airship soon. We can’t get to Woede with the wind aura around it right now.”   
   
 “I can guide you through.” Kita stood up, slowly, knees shaking as he did. “That will not be a problem, however… My mind goes back to what you said. How exactly did you release me from the arcane prison? It was of a great strength… no normal magi would be able to destroy it as you did.”   
   
 “Well.” Bokuto pointed his thumb behind him. “It was those two.”   
   
 Kita’s eyes followed the path.   
   
 Kageyama had a blank but serious face, while Hinata smiled and scratched the back of his head.   
   
 “Well, of course…” Kita hummed. “A mage that empowers the power of Null, while… Fourteen, acts as the unweaver…” He got several confused looks, but he ignored them; instead, his eyes drifted aside. “Death magic… it’s absolutely forbidden, even for us Chancellors… I don’t know why you have it, though I suppose Daishou’s goal is slowly becoming clear to me…”   
   
 Bokuto tilted his head. “Are you feeling better, man?”   
   
 “Yes.” Kita took another small sip. “Thank you. We had best get moving.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The fourteen of them, and the Chancellor of Wind, were making their way towards the airship. Kita led the way, his presence was quiet but powerful, and it made the others fall in line. Akaashi—whose whole life was dedicated to magics and military—was one of the first to fall in line, and he did not think twice about it.   
   
 Not until someone tugged his cloak.   
   
 Akaashi glanced over. “Hm?” His eyes softened. “You scared me for a moment.”   
   
 Kuroo hummed, slowing down and letting the others pass them. “I’m pretty sure you liked having your hair and clothes pulled.”   
   
 “I do, yes.” Akaashi blinked once, then—   
   
 Kuroo smirked.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened. “Your memories…”   
   
 Now at the back of the line, Kuroo leaned over, pressing their lips together. It was quick, simple. Short and sweet.   
   
 It was enough to make Akaashi blush. “We’re in the middle of a mission.”   
   
 “I know.” Kuroo let go of his cloak. “Let’s get back to work.”   
   
 Akaashi found a little laugh coming out of him, and he nodded.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “L-Lord Chancellor!” Goshiki’s voice hit a couple octaves too high as he bowed.   
   
 Kita looked around the ship, as if looking for something. He ignored Goshiki for half a minute before he turned back to him. “Daishou is not on board.”   
   
 It was not a question, but Goshiki felt compelled to answer, “No, he is not. He is in Valentia.”   
   
 “No.” Kita glanced around again. “He was here… he was in the battlefield… I felt his presence. Did he do nothing but observe…?”   
   
 Kiyoko’s heels made a slight noise as she walked along the wood of the ship. “Chancellor. Can you get us to Woede?”   
   
 “Yes. I can.”   
   
 “But, uh.” Goshiki paled. “There is a storm! It will blow my ships apart!”   
   
 “The cannons might do that, and against the cannonfire I have little defense I can give your vessel. However,” Kita said as he glanced to Goshiki, looking him in the eyes, “The wind will not bring harm to us. Wind is a beast. I control that beast.” He turned and began walking to the front of the ship. “I will clear a path, if you fly us to Woede, Sky Captain. Come in high.”   
   
 “Woede’s peace signal,” Goshiki said with a nod. “Absolutely! Yes Sir! I will not fail you, I will do just that, I shall—”   
   
 “You.” Kita glanced to the side.   
   
 Bokuto meeped.   
   
 Kita raised his arm, handing Bokuto his waterskin. “Thank you again.”   
   
 Bokuto’s tense expression burst into a smile and he took it. “No worries, just happy to help.”   
   
 Kita glanced to the silver bangle around his wrist and stepped forward.   
   
 And, from the captain’s wheel, Goshiki yelled, “Let’s fly!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The surge of wind that hit the Silver Eagle nearly knocked it out of the sky. But, within one hit, it was like the wall they hit melted away.   
   
 Kita was glowing green as the barrier made way for him. His silver bangle, which was made to look like a serpent dragon coiled around his wrist, also seemed to glow.   
   
 Though it was impossible for Sugawara to tell, he swore that—somehow, he knew—the green crystal of Woede was also shining this very moment.   
   
 Goshiki focused on steering the ship, smiling as he no longer worried about much. They had flown past Rodzina’s airships and were now making their way to the Great Tree. “We’ll be in Woede soon, and—h-hey!” Goshiki gasped. “Don’t lean over like that! You will fall!”   
   
 Hinata, not caring much about that, pointed down below. “Look!”   
   
 Kita, standing at the very tip of the ship, also glanced over, and his eyes narrowed.   
   
 Semi glared at the waters as well. “Is that Chhal or Rodzina?”   
   
 “Rodzina,” Shirabu supplied. “Before the advances of modern airships, Rodzina was known for its naval fleet. Now that it can make flying vessels, it mainly takes to the sky, but it would make sense they’re attacking from the water.”   
   
 “Right.” Sugawara nodded. “Rodzina may have have airships but,, Woede is still king of the air. Rodzina is the nation of water.”   
   
 Kyoutani snorted. “You’re,” he murmured to Kita, “Pissed.”   
   
 Kita took a slow breath in, and let it out just as slow. “Yes.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The airship was let into the docking bay, but before anyone could take a step off into the ramp—several spears were thrust towards them. The soldiers wore white robes that covered their skin completely. Under hoods, they wore white wrappings around the face like a mummy.   
   
 Further away, standing on the high beams above the docking yard were several soldiers in black, holding daggers and knives, ready to drop and take them out.   
   
 But when Kita stepped forward, the weapons were pulled away. “Take us to the High Thane,” he commanded, “Immediately.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kyoutani walked through the wooden halls of this place. He understood they were inside the Great Tree. The greens and the vines around him felt like… home, in a strange way. There was a pang in his chest, as if he missed this place, but he couldn’t remember why. Kyoutani kept his hood up, as many of their unit did, avoiding eye contact with anyone who glanced his way. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about… Woede.   
   
 The whispers were all around him.   
   
 “Is that…?”   
   
 Kyoutani usually would’ve glared, would’ve dared them to speak louder, but he didn’t know. He didn’t know anything.   
   
 “No way…”   
   
 “Didn’t he…”   
   
 “Yeah, they said he died…”   
   
 “That can’t be…”   
   
 Sugawara also kept his hood up, walking next to Kyoutani as he forced his usual upbeat tone, “You seem quite popular here.”   
   
 “Yeah?” Kyoutani growled. “Not the only one…”   
   
 Sugawara’s fake smile fell and he kept his head down.   
   
 Kita paused.   
   
 The rest of them did too.   
   
 Kyoutani looked up. He knew this place. This place was—   
   
  _The throne room._    
   
 The roots gnarled and forged stairs that led up towards a great seat of power. Flanked by two pillars of green flame, was—   
   
 Kyoutani’s eyes widened.   
   
 Kita saluted. “High Thane.”   
   
 The High Thane spoke simply, “Chancellor.” He wore moonlight white robes, and his arms and legs were wrapped in the same white wrappings as the others. He wore several bracelets and one necklace, of green colour. His face was revealed, though the white wrappings loose around his neck, like a scarf, told that he could cover his face as the others would. His shoulder pads were a green-tinted silver. “I’m happy to see you return to—”   
   
 Kyoutani stepped forward, passing Kita, eyes wide and lost.   
   
 Kageyama shot Kyoutani a glare, and was about to speak when Sugawara clasped his arms, stilling him to silence.   
   
 The royal guards that surrounded the High Thane readied their swords and shields, but one of them faltered, murmuring a, “Captain…?”   
   
 Kyoutani looked at the throne. He whispered, “High… Thane…?”   
   
 “Well, well.” There was a soft laugh. “Looks like you finally came home, Dog.” Sitting on the throne, with an amused smile, was—   
   
 Kyoutani gasped. “Yahaba.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”  
   
 “Taking care of your fucking bleeding leg is what I’m doing.”   
   
 “What the fuck.” Kyoutani glared. “What are you, some peasant?”   
   
 Yahaba shot him a playful glare, before he looked down and sighed. “You messed it up.” His gaze darkened and he yanked the bandage tighter. “Don’t be so impatient all the time.” He sighed again, lighter this time. “You’re a royal guard. You can’t slack off, so let me help you heal.”   
   
 Kyoutani said nothing, just grit his teeth._    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kyoutani’s whole body seemed to radiate, and shake. He dropped down, onto one knee, and it felt so normal. It felt right. He lowered his head, lowering it in a way that he would to no one, and yet—It felt right. He closed his eyes and kneeled.   
   
 “Rise, Captain.” Yahaba crossed his legs, and his hand moved to tug at the emerald necklace dangling around his chest. “You’ve done well to follow my orders. I imagine you and Sugawara were strong additions to the Fires of Valentia.”   
   
 Sugawara just smiled. “Yes Sir.”   
   
 Semi glanced at the back of Suga’s head, frowning.   
   
 Yahaba looked at Kita. “Chancellor. Report.”   
   
 “As you know, I was captured by Chhal. The Fires of Valentia rescued me.” He dipped his head in respect. “I guided their ship through the barrier.”   
   
 Yahaba nodded in return. “Whose ship is it?”   
   
 “A-Ah!” Goshiki jolted up. “It is mine! It is the Silver Eagle!”   
   
 “I see. It will be cared for and replenished.” Yahaba stopped tugging his necklace and took a tense breath. “With two Chancellors here, we can ask for a summit of the four nations. Rodzina would lose the faith of her people if she were to keep firing after a summit was called.”   
   
 “Wait.” Hinata blinked. “Two Chancellors—”   
   
 Kita shifted his head, motioning to the far wall.   
   
 “A summit would be very wise High Thane,” said Suguru Daishou, who was leaning back against the wall, arms and legs crossed. “I will contact Alisa of Rodzina.”   
   
 “And I,” Kita supplied, “Will contact Sakusa of Chhal.”   
   
 “Nuru,” Yahaba murmured, “Has no Chancellor… they would do well to be part of this summit, but they cannot join.”   
   
 Sugawara’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 “No,” Daishou said simply, “For now, the summit will be between the four nations.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Stepping out into the fresh air, onto the surface of the Great Tree, was relaxing and yet scary. Kyoutani and Sugawara looked around. The top of the tree was flat, and was covered mostly in grass. Several buildings and structures were built on top of it, like a real city, and yet it—   
   
 “Feels like we’re in the woods,” Sugawara murmured, “Even in the middle of a city.”   
   
 Kyoutani just nodded.   
   
 Sugawara closed his eyes. “Home… I guess.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Kyoutani looked up at the sky, the boundless sky. “Home.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “The war has been called off,” Akaashi explained as he walked towards the rest of them. “It is over.” He crossed his arms. “The four nations will unite here, in Woede… a great summit is to take place. We have been given beds for the night, however… we will have to share.”   
   
 “Share?” Kyoutani said with a tone of disgust.   
   
 Akaashi nodded. “With the Queen, Emperor, and Rahni – and all their guards – coming they cannot exactly spare fourteen rooms for us. It is also, from what I understand, a cultural thing for families to sleep together in Woede. It would be disrespectful for us to ask for other accommodations.”   
   
 “Exactly.” Shirabu nodded. “It would reflect poorly on the Queen if we were to upset anyone now.”   
   
 “Ahhhh.” Tendou threw his hands behind his head. “I mean we kinda did stop Rodzina from blasting them with cannonfire…”   
   
 Kageyama just sighed. “Let’s just get through the night… it’s an important day tomorrow.” His eyes narrowed. “I want to be well rested. And we need rest after all the fighting today.”   
   
 There were a few murmurs of agreement.   
   
 “Wow.” Hinata smiled. “You actually said something smart—Hey! Watch it! Watch it!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kenma wasn’t exactly sure he was happy with this… arrangement. Though if he were being honest, he wasn’t against it either. He expected something like this. In fact, if he kept being honest—at least this was predictable. He took a deep breath and pulled away his cloak, leaving him in the underclothes.   
   
 Kuroo yawned as he crashed onto the bed. “Coming to bed, Kenma?”   
   
 “Mmm.” Kenma’s eyes were looking outwards. The rooms were open air, with a large bed in the middle, and three open pathways going outside. The gardens outside were beautiful, but he forced himself to look away. “And where am I sleeping…?”   
   
 “Next to me.” Kuroo grinned. “You always sleep on the outside.”   
   
 “Next to you,” Kenma repeated. “I prefer Akaashi.”   
   
 Akaashi laughed, much to Kuroo’s disappointment. “You always did prefer me. I let you sneak out in the middle of the night.” He also began making his way to the bed.   
   
 “Uh.” Bokuto looked between them. “Where do I sleep? Like. Usually, I mean?”   
   
 Kuroo sat up to look at him. “Between me and Akaashi.”   
   
 “Oh.” Bokuto seemed disappointed. “I don’t get Kitten?”   
   
 “I prefer him,” Kenma murmured. “He has no memory of this weird relationship… I trust him the most.”   
   
 “Oh.” Bokuto blinked. Tilting his head at that.   
   
 They spent their time bathing, taking turns, and getting ready for bed. They were given thick blankets; and, despite the open air, they were quite warm. Kuroo fell asleep first, on the edge of the bed, and Akaashi curled up into his side, falling asleep there too.   
   
 Bokuto lay awake next to Akaashi, trying to ease his own breathing. He heard a sigh on his other side and glanced over to Kenma. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “You okay?”   
   
 Kenma glanced over his shoulder at him. “Mm…”   
   
 “Can… I, uh…?”   
   
 Kenma nodded.   
   
 Bokuto rolled over, carefully, and put an arm around Kenma. Kenma didn’t pull away, and that made Bokuto smile.   
   
 Kenma turned to face him; and, after a moment, he raised his hand and moved some of Bokuto’s hair aside.   
   
 Bokuto blinked.   
   
 “Why have you been so down…?”   
   
 Bokuto meeped.   
   
 Kenma just kept gazing.   
   
 Bokuto looked away. “Ah… no reason.”   
   
 “Liar.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata sat up, huffing a bit as he moved slowly to get out of the bed.   
   
 Kageyama, pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes. “What is it?”   
   
 Their bed wasn’t as large as the ones other people were sharing, theirs being designed only for two.   
   
 Hinata murmured, “Thirsty.”   
   
 Kageyama was sure it was a lie.   
   
 Hinata walked over to where a pitcher of water was resting with three cups on a metal dish. He poured himself a drink and then took a few sips.   
   
 Kageyama said nothing.   
   
 “It must be nice…”   
   
 Kageyama glanced over.   
   
 “To have memories…” Hinata kept his gaze down, looking at the small ripples that shook along the surface of his water. “Having people to go to…”   
   
 A small breeze blew through.   
   
 “You only have bits and pieces missing…” Hinata closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them. “Other people only have bits and pieces… but me… Nothing.”   
   
 Kageyama sat up slightly.   
   
 “Nothing,” Hinata repeated. “I… don’t even know if Hinata is my name… I don’t know if Shouyou is my name… I-I… I don’t know  _anything_  about me…”   
   
 “Hinata.”   
   
 “What?” Hinata spun around, glaring. “What? What do you want?”   
   
 Kageyama froze. “Are.” He swallowed hard. “Are you… crying?”   
   
 “No!” Hinata ignored the wetness in his eyes. “What do you care? Why would you care if I’m crying?” He chugged the rest of his water and slammed the cup on the dish. “You’re the one that keeps telling me I’m not normal! You’re the one who keeps bringing it up!”   
   
 Kageyama got out of the bed and—   
   
 “Stop!” Hinata stepped back, hitting the table behind him. “I don’t want you to come closer…”   
   
 He just stared.   
   
 “You keep wanting me to feel like a freak, like I have nowhere to go, that I shouldn’t exist – well – great! You proved your point! Congrats!” Hinata used his wrist to wipe his eyes. “Asshole.” He walked off.   
   
 Kageyama watched him go, chest tightening.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tendou was pretty sure the whole sharing beds thing was fine, to be honest… he just, you know, maybe would’ve liked to share his bed with someone else. There was nothing wrong with his roommate, by any means, but it just made the thoughts in his mind race. “Shirabubu.”   
   
 There was no response.   
   
 Tendou and Shirabu were sleeping, back to back. “I know you’re awake.”   
   
 “Mm.” Shirabu opened his eyes. “Well. What do you want?”   
   
 “Why do you still have your memories?”   
   
 “That’s classified.”   
   
 Tendou sighed. “You’re no fun sometimes, you know that?”   
   
 “I never planned to be fun.”   
   
 “You know—”   
   
 “Shh.” Shirabu closed his eyes. “We’ll need rest for tomorrow.”   
   
 “It’s a peace summit.”   
   
 “There won’t be peace.”   
   
 Tendou’s eyes closed to half-mast. “I figured as much…”   
   
 “Exactly.” Shirabu nodded. “Let’s get rest… we’ll need it.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama tried going back to sleep, but his mind kept bothering him. He sat up and put his head in his hands. He thought back to Akane, to Tora… to Yachi Hitoka, and to everyone else on the squad. He didn’t know why his chest hurt so much, but… He looked down. The memory of Hinata wiping those tears away. He scowled, but not at Hinata. At himself.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi shrugged him off. They were brothers, twins, they had always been touchy-feely. Well. Not Semi, but Sugawara had always been more physical than most people. Semi didn’t mind. Usually sharing a bed with Suga would be a breeze, but now he had to shrug him off again.   
   
 Sugawara raised his head. He was lying on his stomach, propping himself up with his elbows.   
   
 Semi let out a sigh. He was on his back, averting Suga’s gaze. “They recognised you…”   
   
 Sugawara stared for a long moment. “Yes.”   
   
 “You’re from here. You’re from Woede.”   
   
 “I suppose so, yes.”   
   
 “Then what about me, Koushi?” Semi glanced at him. “We’re twins, aren’t we? The mages confirmed it, with their tests. We have the same biological makeup. We’re fraternal twins. We know it.”   
   
 “But—”   
   
 “But what?” Semi glared. “We know it, but what? We have different last names, we’re not even from the same country—do I even know you, Koushi?”   
   
 Sugawara sighed and sank down to the mattress. “Eita…”   
   
 “What?”   
   
 “Just go to sleep.” Sugawara rolled over. “We’ll deal with that later.”   
   
 Semi glared before moving onto his side.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Why have you been so down…?”   
   
 Bokuto meeped.   
   
 Kenma just kept gazing.   
   
 Bokuto looked away. “Ah… no reason.”   
   
 “Liar.”   
   
 Bokuto stiffened.   
   
 Kenma leaned in a little more.   
   
 Bokuto swallowed hard, looking away.   
   
 “If you’re hurting, you should say why… It won’t help… to always bottle it up.”   
   
 “Oh.” Bokuto sighed. “I guess…”   
   
 “Do you want to talk to me…?”   
   
 Bokuto looked at him, pursing his lips.   
   
 “You don’t have to,” Kenma assured. “But… I’ll listen… if you do.”   
   
 Bokuto took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He pressed his forehead against Kenma’s, and heard Kenma give a little laugh, as if it tickled, and it made Bokuto smile. But that smile was gone. “I’m afraid… of who I used to be.”   
   
 Kenma said nothing, just listened, eyes soft.   
   
 “What if I used to be a bad person? Or what if… what if I find out who I used to be… and I don’t like that person? Or. What if… what if knowing who that person is… changes me? Wouldn’t that mean… the person I am now… wouldn’t they stop existing?”   
   
 Kenma hummed.   
   
 “What if I was a terrible person?” Bokuto squished his eyes closed. “What if… what if I chose to lose my memories… because I couldn’t stand knowing who I was?”   
   
 Kenma raised his hand, cupping Bokuto’s face.   
   
 Bokuto blinked.   
   
 Kenma smiled. “Silly.”   
   
 “H-Huh?”   
   
 “Why would a bad person worry about those things?”   
   
 Bokuto stared at him. “M-Maybe because… they wanted a second chance?”   
   
 “Then this is your second chance…” Kenma smiled. “But I don’t think you need a second chance.”   
   
 “But we don’t know for sure.”   
   
 “Hm. True.” Kenma tilted his head a little. “But… if you want to do good things now, I think that means you’re a good person… Sometimes, when we do good things, we mess up… sometimes things just… go bad, because that’s what they do. I think a good person is someone who wants to do good things… not necessarily someone who has a lot of success doing good things…?”   
   
 Bokuto nuzzled him. “Maybe.”   
   
 “Maybe.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata walked the streets of Woede, not really sure where he was going or what he was doing. He passed a large statue at the centre of the city, which was in the shape of some hero or some warrior or something. He felt weird when he stared at it in the middle of a quiet night, so he left.   
   
 He had nowhere to go, but.   
   
 That wasn’t new.   
   
 He headed back to the room they rented and stepped in, quietly, as to not wake up… Oh.   
   
 Kageyama was sitting on the bed.   
   
 Hinata watched him for a moment.   
   
 Kageyama was awake, sitting on the bed, waiting. Waiting for him.   
   
 Hinata knocked on the doorframe lightly, getting his attention.   
   
 “Ah…” Kageyama swallowed hard. “I…”   
   
 Hinata just stared.   
   
 “I haven’t… been fair to you.” He lowered his gaze. “You’ve been hurting, and I….”   
   
 “Stop.”   
   
 “I’m sorry.”   
   
 “I said stop.”   
   
 “Hinata.” Kageyama shot a glare, a soft glare if there was such a thing. “I’m sorry. I mean it.”   
   
 Hinata took a breath and sighed. “Okay. But shut up. Just sleep, okay?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded, and a small smile formed on his lips.   
   
 Hinata felt something deep give way inside him, and a smile formed on his lips as well.   
   
 They went to sleep, back to back.   
   
 Kageyama was about to fall asleep when he felt something behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. “Dumbass.”   
   
 Hinata hugged him from behind, asleep, and snoring lightly.   
   
 Kageyama turned around, and felt Hinata move closer, fitting his head just under Kageyama’s chin. Kageyama sighed, but didn’t mind. He had memories of sleeping like this with Akane and Tora, before, so this was nothing new. But. The thought of Hinata’s hurt… the thought of being the cause of Hinata’s hurt… Kageyama wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi Hitoka was the first to arrive, and she greeted her fourteen Fires immediately after she had a chance to talk to the High Thane in private. She led them towards the statue in the centre of town and she moved down to one knee. Ushijima mentioned his worry about her dress getting dirt from the grass, but Yachi did not listen. Instead, she sent a prayer.   
   
 They stood in silence.   
   
 Yachi rose and dusted off her crimson robe. She looked up at the statue and took a deep breath.   
   
 “Um.” Hinata cleared his throat. “Your majesty…”   
   
 Yachi’s lips formed a small smile. “This is our champion, the Warrior of Light.” She glanced to Hinata. “It is one of our oldest legends, as this warrior was the one who united the four nations. It was under him, a simple warrior, that we have the peace treaties we have now. It is thanks to him, we have the nations we have now.”   
   
 Hinata stared. “His robe, and his cloak…”   
   
 “Yes.” Yachi nodded. “I had the uniform of the Fires of Valentia designed after his.”   
   
 Hinata hummed. “What’s the point of praying to a statue, then?”   
   
 Yachi laughed, a girlish little giggle, and her smile was brighter. “It gives me hope.” Her eyes softened as she looked at him. “The legend is not a happy one, Shouyou.”   
   
 Hinata blinked. He glanced around to the others, who all seem to understand why she spoke in such a sullen tone. “What happened to him?”   
   
 “Stabbed in the back, left to die…” Yachi’s eyes darkened. “In the end, he fell. The opponents of peace made him their target, and they won… But. Like a phoenix, his death was a rise. A fire. When he died, the nations finally understood the importance of peace, of uniting, and working together.”   
   
 “If I recall,” Akaashi spoke up, “It seems Sakusa holds the Warrior of Light in great reverence.”   
   
 “Most Chancellors do.” Yachi nodded. “But, yes… Sakusa most of all.”   
   
 “And yet.” Akaashi bit his lip. “He starts a war.”   
   
 “We cannot understand their motives until we discern them ourselves,” Yachi reminded. “This peace summit will help us all understand one another, that is my hope.”   
   
 Kiyoko did not look impressed.   
   
 “Your Majesty,” Sugawara said as he pointed over yonder. “Look.”   
   
 Yachi’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Shirabu tensed.   
   
 A massive airship was making its way towards Woede.   
   
 “So.” Yachi took a deep breath. “Rodzina is here. I should go and greet them.”   
   
 “Yes!” Goshiki nodded furiously. “Allow me to walk you!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 As the crowd dispersed, Hinata stared at the statue. He sighed. “Stupid thing.”   
   
 “Is it?”   
   
 Hinata tensed, turning around.   
   
 Kita placed a hand on his shoulder, a soft silvery glow hovering at the touch. “You’re not a fan of legends?”   
   
 “Well.” Hinata paled. “Legends can’t help us now.”   
   
 Kita nodded. “You’re correct… Come. The nations are going to assemble soon.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 As the airship approached, Yahaba had an orchestra play  _Ever Waters_ , the national anthem of Rodzina. It was a song with powerful trumpets, full of pride, mixed with an undertone of violins. The airship was Rodzina’s Emperial Ship, the largest airship to have ever been created. It was baby blue and spherical in shape, with white metal winding around it, creating two wings on either side that were filled with jets to move it forward.   
   
 Yahaba stood next to Yachi, and he sighed. “They are the last to arrive.”   
   
 Yachi glanced over. “Chhal?”   
   
 “They asked to come in silence.”   
   
 Yachi took another deep breath. “The Emperor is here… you should greet him first.”   
   
 Yahaba nodded and stepped forward. He walked down the green carpet leading to the grand airship, walking towards a tall, lanky man in blue.   
   
 The Emperor of Rodzina wore a light blue vest that extended behind him like a cloak. He had white cloth falling from either side of his neck, and again on his shoulder. His shoulderpads held globes of water hovering in space, and he walked slowly and tensely, showing his old age.   
   
 Watching from afar, Shirabu made a ‘Tch’ noise.   
   
 Yahaba, however, lowered his head. “Your Majesty.”   
   
 “High Thane,” the man responded.   
   
 They took each other’s hands.   
   
 “Thank you for coming,” Yahaba said evenly. “The Queen of Fire, as well as our Chancellors, are ready to greet you.”   
   
 “Chhal?”   
   
 “They came in silence.”   
   
 The Emperor raised his chin, humming, but nodding. “Thank you for hosting, High Thane.”   
   
 “It is my pleasure.”   
   
 The Emperor walked past him.   
   
 Yahaba focused on the next royal he had to welcome. “Your Highness.”   
   
 Walking towards him was the First Prince – Oikawa Tooru von Rodzina. He walked with grace and elegance that outmatched his father. Despite the years of friendship between them, he shot Yahaba a poisonous look as he took his hand. “High Thane.” He kissed Yahaba’s hands, over the wraps.   
   
 Yahaba tensed. “I hope we can come to an agreement.”   
   
 “I’m sure you do.”   
   
 Yahaba opened his mouth, but—   
   
  _Thwack._    
   
 “Ouch!”   
   
 Iwaizumi, Oikawa’s royal guard, had slapped the sheath of his blade against Oikawa’s ankle. “Be polite.”   
   
 “Iwa!” Oikawa whined. He sighed. “Yes, yes…” He walked off, wincing a bit.   
   
 Iwaizumi dipped his head to Yahaba. “High Thane.”   
   
 Yahaba gave Iwaizumi a thankful look, and they shared a small smile before they passed him.   
   
 A woman was walking towards him.   
   
 Yahaba straightened his spine and lowered his head in response.   
   
 The woman took Yahaba’s hand, despite it not being offered yet, and kissed his knuckles. “Shigeru.”   
   
 “Chancellor.”   
   
 “Call me Alisa, Shigeru… I already told you that.” She smiled wide. “Did you forget?”   
   
 “A-Ah.” Yahaba tensed a bit. “No, I just…”   
   
 “Don’t worry.” Alisa let his hand go and passed him. “We’ll find a way out this.” She clasped her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Alisa walked on, kissing Yachi’s hand as well when she met with her. She was the only member of Rodzina to do so, but she did not care. She knew they would talk. It would have been a great statement of solidarity if none of them had, but she would not let herself stoop that low. Her mind was focused on other things, on the greater plans.   
   
 Daishou.   
   
 Alisa walked passed him, slowly. “Sakusa?”   
   
 Daishou’s eyes narrowed. “He’s here.”   
   
 Alisa dipped her head in respect, and kept walking, feeling her chest tighten.   
   
  _This won’t end well…_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi sat on her seat, which was crowned by a red glowing crystal. She sat and reminded herself to keep her posture calm, and composed. As per the culture of Woede, Yachi wore a red shawl around her; it was translucent, and still showed off her blond hair tied in a bun, but it still covered her hair. She sat at one of the four corners of the circular space in front of them.   
   
 The meeting floor was a sacred room, where only the respective leaders and their Chancellors could sit.   
   
 The very centre of the room was open, revealing the sky below.   
   
 Meanwhile, above them, in rings, several floors were where the spectators came to listen to the four nations talk as equals.   
   
 Yachi stood, shaking, confused, as Daishou stood behind her, also frowning.   
   
 Next to Yachi, the Emperor seemed tense, and his head was covered with a white hood. Alisa stood behind him, hands behind her back.   
   
 On Yachi’s other side, Yahaba was gritting his teeth. Kita also seemed upset; he did not glare, but his unblinking stare spoke of a storm rolling underneath his visage.   
   
 The silence hung in room like cobwebs marring an abandoned mansion.   
   
 It was Yahaba who whisked them away as he raised his voice, “Sakusa—what is the meaning of this?”   
   
 On the Throne of Earth, where a radiant earthy yellow gem crowned the seat, was sitting Sakusa himself. He took in a long breath from the nose and raised his chin. “In Chhal, one is not considered an adult until fifteen years of age. The Rhani has not come of age, and asked me then to sit here.”   
   
 “Rhani hasn’t…” Yachi’s eyes widened. “Then, you mean to say… The Rhani of Chhal—”   
   
 “Is dead.”   
   
 Yahaba’s eyes widened.   
   
 Daishou raised an eyebrow.   
   
 Sakusa crossed his leg. “Yes, he has passed. His only child has taken the throne, but she is only fourteen years of age. I suppose this is a bit of a surprise for you, Queen of Fire, since I’m sure you expected the Rhani to not have a child… when you and your unit murdered him.”   
   
 Yachi’s jaw fell, slightly, and her right hand squeezed the armrest of her seat. “What…?”   
   
 And, directly above, where the royal guards and the Fires of Valentia were listening, Oikawa Tooru moved the feathers of his hair aside and murmured, “She mocks him.”   
   
 Iwaizumi, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. “Her sincerity has always been her strong point… she wins many in her favour with it.”   
   
 Sakusa, on the other hand, seemed unphased. “You act so surprised, Queen of Fire. Or perhaps Queen of Putting On A Show.”   
   
 “Your accusations,” Daishou stepped in, “Are rather heavy. More than enough to fuel a war… and yet you did not declare this when you struck.”   
   
 “That is true,” Yahaba added. “There are proper channels for warfare. Chhal and Rodzina are both in the wrong, regardless. Further, my nation was attacked. Where is my accusation? What have I done that you are hiding from me?”  
   
 “A moment, High Thane.” The Emperor raised his hand slowly. “We are speaking of Valentia. Sakusa’s accusation is great, but it is not the only accusation again Valentia.”   
   
 Yachi took in a sharp breath and straightened her back. “Then state your accusation.”   
   
 “As Emperor of Rodzina,” he said, “I must make it known to all that you were responsible for the murder of her majesty, the Empress of Rodzina.”   
   
 And – up top – Oikawa’s eyes burned and his hands squeezed into fist. He was about to speak, when—   
   
 Shirabu kicked a coffee table aside.   
   
 Oikawa looked at him.   
   
 Shirabu, keeping his face under his hood, merely murmured, “He’s a liar.”   
   
 “Excuse me?” Oikawa stepped forward. “My father is—”   
   
 “You know he’s lying!” Shirabu hissed. “You know—”   
   
 Semi grabbed Shirabu, pulling him back.   
   
 “Why you little… You runt, you—”   
   
 Iwaizumi took Oikawa’s arm. “Listen.”   
   
 Oikawa glanced back down.   
   
 “So, then.” Yachi looked at Sakusa. “I have been accused of killing not one, but two ruling monarchs. I demand proof.”   
   
 “Before that, Your Majesty.” The Emperor raised his hand again. “The High Thane of Wind asked for his accusation.”   
   
 Yahaba grit his teeth. “I did.”   
   
 Kita’s brows furrowed.   
   
 “Your accusation is that you are assisting Valentia.” He smirked. “There are powerful magi in the armies of Valentia, which they do not have. You have been assisting them in this war, which makes you an enemy to us.”   
   
 “Excuse me?” Yahaba forced himself to relax. “No magi of Woede have ever been authorised for war, except for self-defense. Our magi are only able to hold up the wind barrier.”   
   
 “Is that so?” The Emperor scoffed. “Two of you are playing dumb now.”   
   
 “Hold,” Sakusa said warningly. “I ask, Queen of Fire, how has your army been bolstered in magi forces?”   
   
 “The Tenno of Nuru,” Yachi supplied, her throat shaking as she held back the urge to scream, “Has provided us with magi to reclaim our land. He has made it clear he will not encroach on Rodzina or Chhal’s territory without proof, but – regardless of accusations – you have struck at our farms and our cities. If you want justice for these false accusations then come for  _my_  head—leave my people out of this!”   
   
 Her words echoed through the rings of the building.   
   
 Up top, Kiyoko’s eyes shimmered with a certain light. “Ah… she is not so weak as she seems, then…”   
   
 “Passionate,” Yamaguchi added. “She is Fire, after all.”   
   
 Sakusa hummed. He rested his head on his hand, resting his elbow on the armrest. “I see.” He squinted. “Then our assault on Woede was, indeed, a grave mistake… However. We will address your other concern, that we did not move through the proper channels to start this warfare. It is now known, well across the globe, that you have an elite unit – The Fires of Valentia – that are powerful, trained both in stealth, and magic, including forbidden magics.”   
   
 Yachi tensed.   
   
 “They are capable of killing monarchs, and—from what we understand—their memories have been lost, or possibly altered. They are nothing but puppets on a string for you to—”   
   
 “—That unit,” Yachi began—   
   
 “—I am not finished.” Sakusa glared, and silence overtook the room.   
   
 Yachi took a shaky breath and leaned back in her seat.   
   
 “Further. They are known to be experiments of your Chancellor. Those secrets should be revealed.”   
   
 “Come, Sakusa.” Daishou smirked. “We Chancellors have many secrets… It is our duty to have secrets.”   
   
 “Yes, but if you were to enlighten us… then perhaps you can end this war.”   
   
 “No, Sakusa, I can neither confirm nor deny anything.”   
   
 “Madness.” He glared. “If they were innocent, then you should be declaring it loudly!”   
   
 Kita spoke up, “They are innocent.”   
   
 Sakusa glared at him now. “And I am supposed to trust you.”   
   
 “This is not a personal request,” Kita shot back, “I am saying as a Chancellor, they are innocent.”   
   
 “And I as well,” Alisa added.   
   
 Sakusa looked at her, eyes looking almost… hurt.   
   
 “Our nations are unified in the war,” Alisa said plainly, “But the Fires were not made to be used as a tool of war. Their creation preceded our coalition. Kita and I were consulted in the creation of the fourteen of them.”   
   
 Sakusa raised his chin, eyes  _burning._    
   
 “Ha!” The Emperor of Water straightened his back and leaned forward. “And why was Lord Sakusa not invited in this, consultation?”   
   
 “Monarch you may be,” Daishou said with a smile, “It is not your place to question the Chancellors.”   
   
 “The audacity!”   
   
 Alisa merely murmured, “He is not wrong, Your Majesty.”   
   
 “Alisa!” He glared at her. “You dare! My wife often trusted you… but I have yet to see proof of where your loyalty lies!”   
   
 Alisa just smiled and leaned down. “You may take my head if it pleases you, M’lord.” She looked him dead in the eye, as if daring him.   
   
 The Emperor sank back in his seat.   
   
 Up top, now Oikawa was gripping the handlebar around the circle in the middle, knuckles white. “Moron… making his own Chancellor look like an enemy, because it might prove an advantage… Why would he think that’s a good idea?”   
   
 Iwaizumi shrugged. “He’s only been on the throne for a little while, after all.”   
   
 Yahaba put his hands together. “This war was unjust,” he said firmly. “You never declared war. If I didn’t know any better, I would say this was done so you didn’t have to prove your baseless accusations. The two of you are to withdraw your troops immediately. We will deal with the repercussions of this at a later date.”   
   
 “Madness…” Yachi closed her eyes.   
   
 “She killed my wife!” He pointed at Yachi. “My Empress! The heart of our people! Together, we ruled—”   
   
 “You ruled nothing!” Yachi screamed. Her eyes pierced daggers into him. “She was the true Empress! It was her blood that had royal decree! You were just a man she married, and now you dare insult her Chancellor!? You dare! These baseless accusations you throw around to ignite war! Rodzina is greater than your hunger for power!”   
   
 The Emperor stood up. “You! Y-You!”   
   
 Up top, Oikawa’s eyes widened. “She’s got guts…” He smirked.   
   
 Kiyoko adjusted her glasses, grinning. “Quite the Queen we have.”   
   
 “Your Majesties,” Sakusa interrupted calmly, coolly, like cold acid smothering a fire. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “These accusations are not baseless. We will move on to proving them in the next part of this meeting, however… I understand. Queen of Fire, your kingdom has suffered much. You’ve lost cities, while we have lost our loved rulers, and even Woede has lost much due to recent struggles…”   
   
 Daishou’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Sakusa raised his voice slightly, saying, “Perhaps it is best for all that we take a break.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Each monarch had a door behind their throne that let them be to a small, private room to prepare. The moment Yachi closed the door behind her, she crumpled to the floor, holding her head in her hands.   
   
 Daishou watched her fall. “You did well.”   
   
 “I lost it.” Yachi took a deep breath. “The magi are broad-casting this too all the nations, to all the cities… and I lost it… I am a fool!”   
   
 “No,” came a woman’s voice.   
   
 Daishou stepped aside so Yachi could see who was speaking.   
   
 “You looked good,” Kiyoko said with a smile. “You gave them a piece of your mind, and you said what everyone has been thinking but dare not say.”   
   
 Yamaguchi nodded as well. “From what we felt up there, more people were on your side than his. You held your ground. I’m proud of you, Your Majesty.”   
   
 Yachi looked at them, and tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.   
   
 Yamaguchi blinked. “Eh…?”   
   
 Kiyoko tilted her head, looking away. “Has this… happened before?”   
   
 “Yes.” Yachi got to her feet, smiling despite the tears. “Yes it has.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Besides Kiyoko and Yamaguchi, the twelve other Fires went outside, on one of the larger hills of grass. It was an empty space. Nobody said much, but many eyes were on Shirabu who was barely able to contain his anger.   
   
 “Of course he would use the death of the Empress to his advantage.” Shirabu glared. “What’s next, will he use the disappearance of the princess? He’ll use every piece of information he can against us, warp all the facts…”   
   
 Semi watched him, eyes narrowing. “You know a lot about the politics of the world.”   
   
 “I—”   
   
 “Oh!” Tendou spoke up, pointing. “There’s someone spying on us! It’s a little kid!”   
   
 Hinata blinked, and Kageyama’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Shirabu followed the gaze and stepped forward. “You…”   
   
 The kid, hiding behind a tree, knew her cover was blown and she stepped out. She wore a brown robe that hid her face. She walked towards Shirabu. “You know who I am?”   
   
 “Yes.”   
   
 “Ah… I’m. I’m looking for someone.”   
   
 Shirabu kept his hood up and looked away.   
   
 The girl looked at each of them, one at a time, but her eyes widened when she stared at Hinata. “Eh?”   
   
 “Hm?” Hinata peered at her, and his eyes widened. “Hah!?” He jumped back.   
   
 Kageyama looked at her face. “What the—” He reached for her.   
   
 Shirabu grabbed his hand. “Ignore them.”   
   
 The girl turned away from them and looked at the rest, until she stopped in front of the tallest person in the group. She planted her feet firmly in front of him and glared.   
   
 Hinata, looking away, whispered, “Her face…”   
   
 Tendou ignored Hinata, focusing on the girl instead. He looked at him and frowned. “Who’s that?”   
   
 Kuroo cleared his throat. “Number Ten – Aone Takanobu.”   
   
 “Ha!?” Tendou grabbed his face. “I never noticed him! Three years I didn’t even notice him!”   
   
 “Aone!” the girl yelled.   
   
 Aone said nothing.   
   
 “Aone!”   
   
 “Excuse me.” Akaashi walked closer. “He does not speak, Your Majesty.”   
   
 She turned to Akaashi. “Why!?”   
   
 “I… have no memory of him speaking.”   
   
 “What?” She looked at him again. “You’re too tall!”   
   
 Aone leaned down.   
   
 She raised her hand and—   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened.   
   
 She struck him across the face.   
   
 Aone’s eyes widened.   
   
 The girl turned and began walking over to Hinata. “And you! Who are you!?”   
   
 Hinata screamed as he took a few steps back. “H-H-H-Hinata Shouyou!”   
   
 She scanned him and frowned. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”   
   
 “N-No… I mean, I d-don’t think so!” Hinata swallowed hard. “It was the name given to me…”   
   
 “I don’t know you, Shouyou, so if this is a ploy to steal my place—”   
   
 “Your Majesty,” Daishou spoke up as he walked towards them. “It won’t work. Shouyou does not have the same blood as you, he cannot move the stones.”   
   
 “Prove it!”   
   
 “Your necklace isn’t responding to him.”   
   
 She grabbed it and checked it. It was four beads of perfect stone, in the shape of a diamond. She nodded at that. She walked off soon after that, Daishou going with her.   
   
 Bokuto looked around. “Well, now I’m confused…” He glanced to Aone. “Who was that?”   
   
 Aone looked at him, shaking his head.   
   
 “That.” Shirabu clicked his tongue. “Was the Rhani of Chhal, Ruler of Earth…” He bit his lip. “Her name is Hinata. Hinata Natsu.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi kept her calm as she sat in her seat again. She looked around and nodded. “Let’s resume the meeting.” 


	6. Honesty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to [Mello (AO3),](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellod89/pseuds/mellod89) who reminds me a lot of Suga in the way that she's playful, full of laughs and full of life. Always brings joy to my life. <3 
> 
> But, without further ado -- enjoy Chapter 6! I really really like this Chapter, so I hope you do too!
> 
> * * *

 Sinking underneath rubble, every breath she took sent dust and little stones into her lungs. She was dying. Crushed, bleeding, broken… Yachi Hitoka opened her eyes, but could see nothing. She knew she was dying. It wasn’t long now. There was the sound of screaming, hundreds of voices screaming, and explosions. She almost let it all go, let herself fade, when—   
   
 “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”   
   
 Oh.   
   
 That was Kiyoko.   
   
 Kiyoko…   
   
 The large rock column that had crushed her was pulled away and there was a sound of a heavy gasp.   
   
 “Her bones are broken,” Yamaguchi whispered. “Bruises, blood…”   
   
 “Your Majesty!” Kiyoko  _yelled_  and threw herself towards the broken, bleeding form.   
   
 Yachi closed her eyes, and felt a soothing light. Ah. Healing magic. She felt Kiyoko’s hands, grasping her, instead of hovering above like she should be. She let the magic pour into her and her eyes opened again. “Kiyoko…” Her eyes fluttered amidst the rubble. “You came for me.”   
   
 “You’re alive.” Kiyoko’s eyes were sharp and focused. “I’m happy you’re alive.”   
   
 “Your Majesty,” Yamaguchi interrupted, “As soon as we get you healed, we need to move you out of this area – immediately.”   
   
 Yachi felt her body slowly being fixed. Normal magic was only a supplement for broken bones, usually a doctor or at least first aid was needed, but…   
   
 The Fires of Valentia.   
   
 One to Fourteen—they are numbered. They are elites with advanced magic and heightened senses, a feat of arcana and science.   
   
 Yachi was helped to her feet. She was covered in blood, but at least the bleeding had stopped. “What happened…?”   
   
 “Sakusa,” Kiyoko whispered, “He struck the entire building, just as you resumed the second half…”   
   
 “The magi,” Yachi matched her whisper, “They were broad-casting it?”   
   
 “No.” Yamaguchi shook his head. “The mages that we and Woede provided… they were turncoats. They betrayed us.”   
   
 Yachi squeezed her eyes shut. “Damnit.”   
   
 Kiyoko put an arm around her to support her. “We need to move. The Emperor has already left Woede—The High Thane is underground. Chhal’s and Rodzina’s soldiers are still here. We’re going to be caught in a battlefield if we stay.”  
   
 Yachi took a deep breath. “Guide me to the High Thane; after that—you know your orders—assist Woede.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The rolling green plains of Woede, the crown of the Great Tree, were slowly being painted red with blood. Soldiers charged with swords and spears, magic was being thrown around. The soldiers of Woede retaliated with their gladiators and their rogues. While the sword-and-board fighters took the light, the daggered shadows slipped through the shadows of their ranks.   
   
 Were it only humans fighting, it would have been in Woede’s favour but.   
   
 “Damn beasts!” Kuroo charged another shot before he fired. “Damn them!”   
   
 Kenma’s eyes narrowed. He dove between two beasts, summoning a whip-blade. After a strike, it shattered to light, and he spun as he summoned Kyoutani’s sword and shield. Two strikes and those faded. He called Yamaguchi’s rapier to his side and stabbed through two more.   
   
 “We’ll give them hell,” Akaashi said in a low growl. He slammed his spear down, shooting shards of ice into the crowd of enemies all around them. “For Valentia! For Her Majesty!”   
   
 “What—” Bokuto swung his blade. “What are you guys doing!?”   
   
 The three of them spared a glance at him.   
   
 “We can’t just fight!” Bokuto’s free hand slammed into his chest. “We need to evacuate the civilians!”   
   
 Kenma barely dodged an enemy spear and fought back with two short swords.   
   
 Kuroo fired into the crowd. “We have to neutralise the threat!”   
   
 “But the people!” Bokuto yelled, “There are civilians all around us!”   
   
 “Bo!” Kuroo yelled back, “We can’t get to them with this many enemies around!”   
   
 Akaashi speared another beast, shattering it. “Koutarou—”   
   
 A bright light.   
   
 They paused, looking up.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata paused his assault, glaring up at the light. It was a spherical orb hovering in the sky. It was glowing bright gold, but it was warped, with streaks of black and red swimming inside it.   
   
 “Hinata.” Kageyama shot his magic out into the enemies. “Do you know what that is?”   
   
 “Yeah.”   
   
 Kageyama looked over his shoulder.   
   
 Hinata stared, as if taken in a trance.   
   
 Kageyama scoffed. “Hinata!”   
   
 “Ah!” Hinata blinked and looked at him, then the sphere. “It’s… Death. In its purest form.”   
   
 Kageyama tensed.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes softened as he was almost, again, pulled under its lull, then—”Everyone!” He grabbed his sending stone. “Watch out, we need to—”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sakusa’s black robes were shaking from the spell he was casting. For half a moment, he felt a flash of fear, but it soon subsided. “Daishou.”   
   
 Daishou hummed. Together, they were standing upon the last few remaining pillars of the building that had crumpled beneath them. They watched the battle below. “I was wondering how you’d get out of that one, Sakusa, but I suppose just destroying everything works.”   
   
 “Hm.” Sakusa paused his spell, but the magics around him didn’t lessen. “Have you come to fight me?”   
   
 “No, friend.” Daishou shrugged. “We both know I wouldn’t win. I was always the weakest of the Chancellors.” He offered a smile before his eyes narrowed. “I just wanted to know… how exactly do you justify, this?”   
   
 “The day has finally come, where my sense of morals is being scolded by a snake.” Sakusa turned to face him fully. “You and I both know, now… Human life is worth nothing. There  _must_  be sacrifices.” His hands began to glow again, as Death flooded around him. The sphere in the sky began to burn brighter.   
   
 “I suppose so.” Daishou glanced off to the side. He had always had a habit of looking eternally composed, never losing it—and, yet—“No!”   
   
 Kita and Alisa struck—wind and water—two violent whips heading for Sakusa.   
   
 Sakusa turned around and blasted dust towards Alisa—sand turning her water to grime, thickening it, choking it—while his stalwart stance stood still against Kita’s attack. He moved, quickly, after, and grabbed Kita by the throat.   
   
 Daishou’s eyes widened. “Sakusa!”   
   
 Alisa choked as the sand filled her lungs, knees trembling.   
   
 Kita couldn’t breathe with Sakusa’s grip crushing his throat, eyes losing vision.   
   
 Sakusa tossed them both aside to the ruins below. He turned away from them and held his hand up to the orb. “It ends!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Goshiki waved his hand and yelled, “Get her flying! Go!”   
   
 His crew rushed towards the Silver Eagle.   
   
 Goshiki turned around and surveyed the threat. What was the best thing to do? Evacuate the civilians? Fight the enemy? Where was the Queen in all of this? What would she do, what would she want—? What would—   
   
 He saw, out of the corner of his eye, two people fighting.   
   
 Kiyoko leapt high into the sky, blasting down arrows that resonated with thunder—the explosive sounds that tossed soldiers into the air.   
   
 Yamaguchi speared the enemy with his rapier, embodying lightning itself with the sheer speed he fought his enemy.   
   
 “They’ve rejoined the battle,” he whispered. That must mean the Queen was safe.   
   
 Yes, even if… now… even if now they were Twelve and Thirteen, once upon a time they were Shimizu Kiyoko and Yamaguchi Tadashi. The Queen’s advisors, her guards, and Goshiki’s—   
   
  _And my close friends._    
   
 “Sky Captain!”   
   
 Goshiki spun, eyes wide.   
   
 A beast had lunged for him.   
   
 A splash of acid hit it from the side, dissolving two of its four legs and spraying into the air.   
   
 Semi threw himself at Goshiki, shielding him from splashes of that same acid. “Are you alright?”   
   
 “A-Ah.” Goshiki’s cheeks heated. “Y-Yes! Th-The Silver Eagle will be in the air shortly!”   
   
 Semi looked around. “Something is wrong…”   
   
 Goshiki meeped, trying oh so hard not to think about how he was leaning into Semi’s warmth.   
   
 “Nine,” Kiyoko called as she approached, Yamaguchi just behind her. “This energy, it feels like…”   
   
 Semi’s eyes narrowed. “A summon.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Kenma’s hand graced his, and it made his heart leap to his throat. Kenma had no idea how such a little action could affect him, and instead just took Bokuto’s hands into his.  
   
 Bokuto stared.   
   
 That was right, the four of them… it had started with… Akaashi and Kenma, if Bokuto recalled, but.   
   
 Kenma smiled, looking up. “You like Akaashi.”   
   
 It wasn’t a question, but Bokuto swallowed hard. “A-Ah… yeah.”   
   
 “I’m.” Kenma’s eyes softened. “Okay with it.”   
   
 Bokuto felt his cheeks burning. “K-Kenma…”   
   
 Kenma blinked at him.   
   
 “I’m.” Bokuto shut his eyes, lowering his head. “I’m sorry.”   
   
 Kenma blinked again.   
   
 “I’m. Really loud, and annoying. I know I yell sometimes when I get excited, and I see the way you kind of shake and I know I scare you sometimes and I’m just really sorry and—”   
   
 Kenma squeezed his hands.   
   
 Bokuto shut his mouth.   
   
 “I don’t mind.”   
   
 Bokuto looked up. “Why?”   
   
 “Because, Bokuto.” Kenma smiled. “You’re—”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 It descended from the sky with a terrible scream. The bird’s every movement sent a metallic ring through the air, and its caw was enough to kill. Long black metal feathers allowed it to hover down towards Woede. Its great beak was gnarled and warped, fanged, and sharp. Its talons were like hatchets, ready to tear anything apart.   
   
 In its Primus Form, the summon Karasuno closed its wings, as if hugging its chest. A deep black light emanated around it. When it opened its wings, beams of Death speared through the sky to crash against Woede.   
   
 It released another terrible scream.   
   
 Down below, the forces of Woede, Rodzina, and Chhal all stared up at their end.   
   
 Kuroo’s eyes were on the bird. “We have to neutralise the threat.”   
   
 Bokuto shook his head, turning around and taking off.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aone stood alone amidst the crowd. The soldiers were no longer fighting, but the beasts seemed even more numerous now that the summon had formed. He saw several beasts charging towards him. He backed up two steps and spun his quarterstaff above him, swirling sand into a storm. Each grain of sand was a knife that scratched the beasts enough to bleed.   
   
 He slammed his quarterstaff into one of the monsters, making it burst from the inside out.   
   
 “Aone!”   
   
 He paused.   
   
 “Aone!”   
   
 That voice—   
   
 “Aone!”   
   
  _The girl,_  he recognised,  _Natsu._    
   
 She called out no more.   
   
 Natsu. Aone looked around for her, not seeing her in the swarm of monsters. He grit his teeth and searched for her, but he couldn’t find her.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“I’m. Really loud, and annoying. I know I yell sometimes when I get excited, and I see the way you kind of shake and I know I scare you sometimes and I’m just really sorry and—”  
   
 Kenma squeezed his hands.   
   
 Bokuto shut his mouth.   
   
 “I don’t mind.”   
   
 Bokuto looked up. “Why?”   
   
 “Because, Bokuto.” Kenma smiled. “You’re—”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Karasuno struck hard, setting parts of the Great Tree ablaze. It was unmatched, king of the sky, until two beams of magic tore its wing. It spun around, wildly, evading two more beams as it looked for its opponent.   
   
 The Silver Eagle.   
   
 Karasuno screamed.   
   
 The airship charged another beam, but—   
   
 Not twice.   
   
 Karasuno swooped underneath it and rose behind it. With another scream, it smashed its body against the airship, bursting the hull in a crash of fire.   
   
 Watching from the ground, helpless, Goshiki yelled, “No!” It wasn’t just his ship, it was also his home, but his crew—he watched them turn into a rain of fire that descended on top of Woede.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sugawara had also seen the Silver Eagle go down, and a sharp scratching in his chest fuelled his rage. He summoned dagger after dagger, shooting them like missiles at his enemies. He tore through so many, he lost count. He was always more of a stealth unit, a support—it wasn’t like him to dive headfirst into the fray but. But. The sight of the Silver Eagle going down made him want to scream.   
   
 “L-Lord Sugawara!”   
   
 Suga paused after clearing all the enemies in the area. He raised his head and looked over his shoulder.   
   
 Several of Woede’s assassins were looking at him, with hope. “You’ve returned!”   
   
 “Yep. I’ve returned, but my memories haven’t.” Sugawara looked at them, wondering how he should address this. He knew what they wanted, of course… It was easy to know what they wanted. “I’m one of the Fires of Valentia. I know you’ve got questions, but right now we need to clear out the threat. What’s the status on the civilians?”   
   
 “We’ve moved as many as we can to the lower parts of the tree,” one of them supplied.   
   
 Another added, “We still have search parties out looking for more.”   
   
 “Sir,” a third, “Soldiers from Chhal and Rodzina are rebelling. They’re… fighting with us.”   
   
 Sugawara stared at them. “Listen.” He closed his eyes. “I know you’re looking at me for guidance…” His eyes opened. “But I don’t know. I only have bits and pieces of my memory. I can’t advise you.” He watched their shoulders fall and he straightened his back. “But, there’s two pieces of advice I got for you guys, okay? Remember the chain of command, and trust your training!”   
   
 “Sir!” They all saluted.   
   
 “Well.” Sugawara smiled. “Actually my two pieces of advice are be gay and do crimes. But I feel that’s a little less effective.”   
   
 The squad smiled, wide.   
   
 Sugawara blinked.   
   
 “You just,” one of them said, “You used to say that all the time.”   
   
 “Ah.” Sugawara laughed. “Guess I’m the same person after all.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Bokuto ran despite the black bile raining from the sky. They had no way of fighting that huge bird, not without an airship. Still, he couldn’t focus on that. He spent most of his time helping civilians. He quickly figured out the ones who wore black, the rogues, were helping civilians to a safe place. Bokuto didn’t ask where that was, just kept defending civilians until someone took them to the safe place.   
   
 More black bile dropped from the sky, burning the grass.   
   
 Bokuto barely dodged.   
   
 A scream.   
   
 Bokuto looked ahead.   
   
 That girl—Natsu—she was sending out earth and sand to protect herself against some of the beasts.   
   
 Bokuto grabbed his sword from his back. It was hulking, heavy, and required two hands, but he wouldn’t let it slow him down. He threw himself in the fray, slashing three beasts in one swing. “Hey!”   
   
 One of the beasts shot out the same black bile that Karasuno was raining down.   
   
 Bokuto raised his blade, and it flooded with whirling water. As he swung his sword, water whipped out and hit the bile before it got to Natsu.   
   
 Natsu turned to him, tears in her eyes.   
   
 Bokuto’s eyes widened. He knew she was a powerful mage; and, of course she would be, she had royal blood—she was the Rahni of Chhal. She was the enemy. But she was only fourteen, she was a child, and she was scared. There was no question for Bokuto. He moved in and yelled, “Get behind me!”   
   
 Natsu looked at him… No, she was looking behind him. “Watch out!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Kenma squeezed his hands.  
   
 Bokuto shut his mouth.   
   
 “I don’t mind.”   
   
 Bokuto looked up. “Why?”   
   
 “Because, Bokuto.” Kenma smiled. “You’re… you’re gentle.”_    
   
 Bokuto’s eyebrows shot up, eyes going wide.   
   
 “You try.” Kenma laughed, a small one but he laughed. “You’re gentle with me. You try your best. Even though you’re a soldier, even though you’re trained for war… your best trait is, even despite that, you’re still—”[/i]   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Five.”   
   
 Natsu’s eyes widened.   
   
 “Five.” Bokuto’s grip on his blade tightened. “It’s the number of humans. Five fingers, five toes, we have five parts extending from our core—two arms, two legs, and our neck.”   
   
 Several beasts had lunged from up above, baring their teeth.   
   
 “Humankind, sometimes we’re… utterly horrible. When you think about us, ah… it’s just, tragedy after tragedy… there’s always some pain, some hurt, some anger somewhere… But if you look into our hearts, you’ll find people are suffering, and they’re existing the only way they know how. We’re all broken, we all have our problems… we’re not trying to cause problems, we just don’t know how to live better yet.”   
   
 Natsu’s eyes widened as she began to scream.   
   
 “But, deep in every person—”   
   
  _“Even though you’re a soldier, even though you’re trained for war… your best trait is, even despite that, you’re still—”_    
   
 “Kindness.” Bokuto spun wildly, releasing a waterfall in every direction, a surge of power, a storm of seas flooded around him, with him as the epicentre. “We can’t just fight all the time! We need our humanity. We need to connect with that place deep inside of us, and we shouldn’t ever be ashamed of it!”   
   
 Natsu’s eyes widened as whips of blue water flew out like shooting stars all around her.   
   
 Bokuto brought his blade in front of him and took a deep, even breath. “Kindness. Five is the number of kindness, gentleness, compassion.” He lowered his blade and looked around as the water was cleansing Woede. The beasts were being washed away, as was the black bile, the fire – but, more than just that – the soldiers, the humans, were being healed by his power. Bokuto felt his gut fill up with pride.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sakusa scoffed as he watched the water pour over the crown of the Great Tree, spilling over the edges. “So they’ve dealt with my beasts and some fire… The Fires of Valentia have barely touched my summon. This battle is over.”   
   
 Daishou held a tome close to his chest, and squeezed it. “Perhaps you should look harder, Sakusa.”   
   
 Sakusa shot him a glare. “Where?”   
   
 “From where the water flows.”   
   
 Sakusa did as told, and his eyes widened. “Natsu!”   
   
 “Hm.” Daishou’s lips curved into a smirk. “I thought human life held no worth.”   
   
 Sakusa’s hand shook and red lightning crackled all around him.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Bokuto swung his blade, and the water pooled together before it spiralled up to hit Karasuno head-on. He managed to get a pretty good hit, and he smirked. But, the hairs on his arms stood up and he felt his spine shiver. He turned around.   
   
 Sakusa landed paces away from him. The water in the area was pushed away as earth rose up around him. Sakusa pointed his hand at Bokuto and it crackled with dark energy.   
   
 Bokuto’s eyes widened. “Ch-Chancellor!”   
   
 Sakusa was about to cast a spell, when something grabbed him from the side.   
   
 “No!” Natsu yelled, “No! He—He saved me!”   
   
 Sakusa faltered, glancing at her.   
   
 “He saved me…”   
   
 “Why?” Sakusa glared at her. “Why did you not evacuate when I told you?! You knew your orders! You could have been in danger! What would I do if you were hurt! You—”   
   
 “Aone!” Natsu yelled, “Aone is here! I had to find Aone!”   
   
 “Here…?” Sakusa tilted his head. “Why is he here…?”   
   
 Bokuto glanced to the side.   
   
 Sakusa followed the gaze.   
   
 Aone stepped forward, quarterstaff in hand.   
   
 “You…” Sakusa’s eyes widened. “You wear the uniform of the Fires? You oppose Chhal now…?” He looked down for a moment and his eyes narrowed. “Daishou! You… dare take my soldiers…?”   
   
 Aone blinked.   
   
 Sugawara soon joined them. “Chancellor!” He paused. “Rahni… Your Majesty…”   
   
 Natsu’s grip on Sakusa tightened.   
   
 Sakusa glared at Aone. “You dare fight your own country?”   
   
 Aone took a step back.   
   
 “No. How would you know…?” Sakusa sneered. “Daishou wiped your memories, made you a tool of war. As he did with you all.”   
   
 “I have my memories,” Bokuto corrected. “And I’m willing to let you go, because the girl’s scared.”   
   
 “The girl?” Sakusa’s hand turned into a fist. “She is royalty! The Rahni of Earth!”   
   
 “Yeah, well! She’s still a girl! She’s still scared! She’s just a kid!”   
   
 Sakusa swiped his hand and a magic circle appeared underneath him. “The bird will take care of you—Natsu, we’re leaving.”   
   
 Natsu looked at Aone, tears in her eyes, but said nothing.   
   
 Aone felt his own eyes begin to tear up, but he didn’t know why.   
   
 The teleportation circle activated and the two of them were gone.   
   
 “Hey.” Bokuto put a hand on Aone’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, okay? But. Right now. We got a big bird to fight off.”   
   
 Aone looked at him, and gave a firm nod.   
   
 Sugawara smiled and summoned his daggers. “Let’s go.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Karasuno screamed and released more volts of fire and Death upon the tree. Each blast of magic was explosive and corrosive, threatening to tear the tree apart. However, water washed over the wounds, healing the great tree, and sometimes the water swirled where the impacts were expected, shielding the tree.   
   
 Sugawara lunged into the sky, spinning as he tossed his daggers at the beast.   
   
 Karasuno’s eyes shifted at him and it  _howled._    
   
 Sugawara was thrown back, screaming.   
   
 “Suga!” Hinata yelled, catching him just as they crashed into the water; with his own mastery over Death, Hinata pulled some of the dark essence out of him. “Be careful!”   
   
 Sugawara pushed himself to his feet and pouted. “We’re not gonna win like this… we can prevent the tree from getting corrupted, but…”   
   
 “Attrition.” Kyoutani growled. “It’ll wear us down… eventually.”   
   
 A spear of ice shot down from the sky, gashing its wing.   
   
 Karasuno turned and spun towards Akaashi.   
   
 Akaashi, midair, put his hands over his chest, and dissolved into white mist.   
   
 Across the battlefield, Kageyama wove his cords together, shooting them  _all_  out at Karasuno—and they converged together on its spine.   
   
 Karasuno yelled again.   
   
 Kuroo perched himself atop a building and readied his firearm. All the light blinked and flickered around him, converging into a single bullet. It hit Karasuno’s chest, but he frowned. “All this, and still… we’re barely scratching it!”   
   
 Karasuno spun towards the ground and extended its wings. Magic gathered in its form and it began preparing a strike when—   
   
 Sugawara’s head snapped to the side, sensing a shift in the wind.   
   
 Karasuno  _screeched_  as two explosions hit its side with several hundred times the force of their attacks.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Captain!” Yaku yelled above the cannon fire in the central command of the vessel. “We’re preparing another shot. It’ll take us some time before we can fire again.”   
   
 “Be ready for evasive maneuvers. We saw the ship take down the Silver Eagle – it will not do so to us as well.” Standing at the centre of the room, wearing his badges of honour, adjusting his glasses was Tsukishima – Sky Captain Tsukishima Kei. As soon as he got the signal from Sarukui and Akinori, Tsukishima raised his voice. “Gold Eagle!” He swiped his arm forward. “Fire!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Two more shots crashed into the summon, and it recoiled, blood pouring from its wounded form.   
   
 “He’s here!” Goshiki’s eyes lit up. His heart panged with grief for his own vessel, but… The Silver Eagle outmatched the Gold in only speed and stealth—it was the Gold Eagle that had the firepower to lead an army.   
   
 At another spot in the battlefield, peeking through the branches of the Great Tree, Yachi whispered, “By the Fire…” She put a hand to her heart. “You came.”   
   
 Karasuno dove to the right, and then downwards, making its way towards the Gold Eagle, but another set of two shots halted its advance—blasting it backwards.   
   
 Watching from below, Kageyama let himself relax. “We can let the airship deal with the summon. Unlike the other big beasts Sakusa’s sent after us… Summons are made of flesh. They’ll burn.”   
   
 Hinata stepped forward. He opened his hands.   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Red cords seemed to appear between him and the summon; and, with a sharp yank, Karasuno screamed. The Death magic shot away from the beast, shrinking its form, and Hinata consumed it as it crashed into him.   
   
 Kageyama blinked. “What are you doing?”   
   
 “You can’t fight against Death,” Hinata said, “That’s what they say.”   
   
 “But you can.”   
   
 “Does.” Hinata’s eyes softened as more cords formed into his hand. “Does that make me a monster?”   
   
 “Right now… that makes you our saviour.”   
   
 Hinata smiled, and yanked again.   
   
 The Summon screamed.   
   
 The Gold Eagle fired two more shots.   
   
 Hinata yanked again.   
   
 Karasuno’s wings crippled and it struggled to keep itself aflight.   
   
 Hinata opened his other hand, and more cords flooded him. He waited, just a bit more, and he waited—He waited until the Gold Eagle fired; and, the very moment the shots hit, Hinata pulled.   
   
 Karasuno burst open.   
   
 Blasting magic in all directions, splitting the clouds, and clearing the sky.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Daishou hummed as he watched the clouds part. “It’s funny… it actually would have been a rather boring, but sunny day… if all this fighting hadn’t occurred.”   
   
 “You.” Kita walked towards him, clutching the wound on his throat. “You could have stopped this… Woede… my city… my nation… You could have saved it.”   
   
 “You’re right.” Daishou looked down. “I could have.”   
   
 “Why,” came the quiet voice of Alisa, who walked with a limp, “Why didn’t you…? You let people die instead.”   
   
 “I did.”   
   
 “Why?” asked Alisa.   
   
 Kita’s eyes narrowed. “Why, Daishou?”   
   
 “You heard Sakusa, didn’t you?” Daishou moved some of his hair out of his eyes. “Human life is worthless. It holds no value.” He turned away from them. “I have other things I must deal with now. It was good to see you again.”   
   
 Kita dropped to his knees.   
   
 Alisa looked up at the sky.   
   
 Daishou left.   
   
 Kita closed his eyes for a long moment. “Sakusa and Daishou… they’re two madmen.”   
   
 “Yes.” Alisa’s hand formed a fist. “And now we should wonder… if we threw our cards in with the wrong one.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 With the defeat of the summon, the remaining soldiers of Rodzina and Chhal still left on The Great Tree surrendered. Some spoke for their executions, others praised them for turning on their own nation’s army and doing what’s right. It was a hectic situation, and Yahaba didn’t particularly like the choices he had to make. He closed his eyes, and wondered what was the best course of action. He knew, though, he had to follow what he felt was right.   
   
 It was a matter of convincing his people to do the same.   
   
 He looked, longingly, at Kyoutani and Sugawara, as they spoke to Yachi. He longed for their advice, their wisdom, their guidance now more than ever. He looked away. Kyoutani always gave horrible advice, but his bluntness, his rough edges, it reminded him to put away the endless layers of politics and get to the heart of what needed to be done. Sugawara, on the other hand, was quite wise when it came to people… but he would often punctuate his advice with “I don’t know”, or “I can’t say for sure”. It was annoying, more annoying than Kyoutani, but it reminded Yahaba what he needed to know most: Certainty was just blind faith.   
   
 He took a deep breath and spoke to his soldiers, commanding them simply: “Gather everyone. The civilians, the soldiers… ours, Rodzina’s, Valentia’s, Chhal’s… everyone. I will address them all myself.”   
   
 And his aides did as he wished.   
   
 Woede, though known by tourists for the crown, the hills of grass atop the tree, Woede was more of a labyrinth, winding paths, underneath the crown.   
   
 Woede was not the outside nor the crown, no, Woede was  _within_  the tree.   
   
 In the largest cavity, the biggest cavern, Yahaba stood atop a long stage in front of them all. Yachi and her Fires were also standing on the stage… though far to the side. Now. Now was Yahaba’s turn to speak.   
   
 It was his moment.   
   
 Yahaba stepped forward, and he swallowed hard. His hands were shaking, but he planted his feet firmly and told himself to breathe. Just looking at the crowd… he could tell the morale was worse than he expected, and he wasn’t even expecting much.   
   
 “My people,” he spoke, and the winds carried his voice through every winding path of the Great Tree, “And all others that are in attendance now… I know there are murmurs of discontent, I know accusations are being thrown around… and I understand where these come from, and why we have resorted to this moment. But we now know what Rodzina and Chhal are capable of… we’ve seen what they can do.”   
   
 The air felt colder.   
   
 Yahaba fought back the chill. “It is not our nation’s way to get too involved in the fights of the mainland… Woede, like Chhal, has always been more reserved than the other two nations. But we have fought wars before, we have interceded and interjected before, and we must do now. We must—”   
   
 “It’s her fault!” yelled someone in the crowd, “It’s Valentia’s war!”   
   
 “They’ll leave us alone if we stay here!”   
   
 “Let Valentia burn!”   
   
 Yahaba’s jaw tightened.   
   
 Paces away, Yachi’s hands clasped together. Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Kyoutani growled.   
   
 Yahaba glanced at him.   
   
 Kyoutani was about to step forward, but a hand clasped his shoulder, making him pause.   
   
 Yahaba blinked as he watched who was coming forward now.   
   
 Sugawara stepped forward, and the crowd fell silent. He stood next to Yahaba and whispered under his breath, “They’re really expecting me to say something great now.”   
   
 Yahaba said nothing.   
   
 Sugawara smiled. “I’ve never been as confident as I come across… but I’m sure you know that. But it feels, familiar, to have people looking towards me in moments like this.”   
   
 Yahaba whispered back, “Yes.”   
   
 “Then.” Sugawara nodded and stepped forward. “Let’s see what I can do.”   
   
 Yahaba swallowed hard.   
   
 “Six!” Sugawara faced them and straightened his spine. “In all honesty… I don’t know what that number is supposed to represent.” He laughed, but Yahaba could tell it wasn’t his usual nervous laugh; no, this one was firm. Sugawara held his head high. “I could tell you things about the number six… but all I know is all I know. I can only be truthful, and honest, in this moment here.”   
   
 Yahaba felt the weight lift from his shoulders.   
   
 “The Rahni of Earth is just a child, and it looks like she’s being used as a pawn for the Chancellor of Earth… the same Chancellor of Earth that assaulted and almost destroyed Woede. Why? To cover the truth. Many soldiers here are loyal to Rodzina and Chhal… but I don’t think these are the Rodzina and Chhal that they swore loyalty to. It seems new rulers have come in, and their need for power is hungry… I can’t tell for sure, but it seems that way to me. What do you guys think?”   
   
 The crowd didn’t respond.   
   
 “I am Sugawara Koushi, a man you all know.” He put a hand on his hip. “It’s a bit mind boggling… how the head of Woede’s spy network can be so well known, but I’m not dead yet, so. I’m probably doing something right. I’m the left hand of the High Thane. The High Thane provided both myself and Kyoutani, his right hand, to Valentia. I haven’t been around… but I have never stopped fulfilling my promise, fulfilling my duty to Woede.”   
   
 Yahaba’s lips tugged into a smile.   
   
 “I only have one question for you guys. I want you to be honest with yourselves.” He stepped forward. “Are you opposed to fighting this war because you think it’s something we shouldn’t do… or are you afraid?”   
   
 Kyoutani gave a deep nod.   
   
 Yachi smiled.   
   
 Sugawara grinned as he felt a shift in the crowd. “It’s okay to be afraid. It’s terrifying… you saw what they did to us. But.” He put a hand to his heart. “We can’t let this eat away our world. That’s what I think anyway.”   
   
  _That’s right._  Yahaba closed his eyes, smiling.  _I don’t have to do this alone._  


	7. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy, sorry for the late update. I actually mixed up which chapters to give to my two awesome betas, so this one came a bit late. 
> 
> Ayy, it's the Tendou chapter. How can I have a Tendou chapter and NOT dedicate it to Kat (check out her [Art (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/tendouaf) and [Fic (AO3)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miracleboysatori)). Few people can make me laugh and feel as cared for as she does, and she is just such a good person. She writes writes MAD GOOD Tendous too. If you're itching for a good UshiTen fic---or if you're just itching for a good fic in general (always good to branch out)---I highly recommend Kat's fics, and her art is to die for too. Please check her out and support her and love her as much as I do.
> 
> But anyway, we're at Chapter 7! Enjoy!
> 
> * * *

_“Oi…”  
   
 The boy closed his eyes, ducking his head.   
   
 “Oi, kiddo.” Saeko kicked the tarp that was covering him. “What are you doing here?”   
   
 The boy kept his eyes closed.   
   
 Saeko let out a sigh and moved down, squatting in front of the kid. “You don’t have to hide from everyone all the time… Satori.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 With Valentia bringing an end to the assault on Woede, the crimes of Rodzina and Chhal were becoming more and more undeniable. Sakusa’s meddling with the broad-casting magi meant that those in the cities had not seen the attack begin, but word spread far and wide. Yachi and Yahaba worked tirelessly to rally their troops.   
   
 War.   
   
 Woede, the bearer of the Wind Crystal, was joining the war.   
   
 Nuru, as well, could no longer stand idle, and their magi were readying for long-term combat.   
   
 Valentia was spearheading the charge, with Yachi at the helm.   
   
 Between the two enemy nations, Chhal was an island farther away, while Rodzina held the greater military might. Although tactically, defeating Chhal would be easier, it was unlikely that Rodzina would let anyone pass the waters to get to the island of Chhal.   
   
 Valentia, Woede, and Nuru were marching upon Rodzina.   
   
 “And, so we,” Shirabu said with a grave tone, “Will also be attacking Rodzina.”   
   
 “No,” murmured Daishou. “Not quite, or rather… not yet.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tsukishima still felt a wince where the rapier had pierced his chest a week ago. Underneath the uniform of a revered Sky Captain, he had bandages wrapped around his stomach. Each movement brought pain, but he focused on the task at hand. The Gold Eagle was making its way from Woede towards the large landmass at the centre of the continent, which was considered neutral.   
   
 The lands were barren grey dirt and rock.   
   
 Nothing could grow there, nothing could live there, and nobody had any reason to inhabit it, or go to it.   
   
 But Daishou’s orders were firm and direct, with precise coordinates that he had his mages follow.   
   
 Tsukishima felt a sense of dying frost shiver his body at the thought of Suguru Daishou.   
   
 The Queen had always kept her distance, had been wary of him, but back then he had seemed more… calm? No. He just. Tsukishima squinted, trying to find the right words… It was as if, before, Daishou had no particular goal he was trying to achieve. Now he was motivated, and the sly and suspicious patterns he’d normally had, that had been simply games before, were now being used for a machination that Tsukishima was afraid of.   
   
 And the Queen…   
   
 Yachi Hitoka, she was opening every door for him to achieve whatever it was that he wanted to achieve.   
   
 Tsukishima’s thoughts were disrupted, as he heard a sigh.   
   
 Unlike the Silver Eagle, the Gold’s wheel and command centre was within the woodwork of the ship, indoors with windows and screens projected by magi.   
   
 Goshiki left the room, and walked past the windows towards the front of the ship.   
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes softened.   
   
 “You’re worried about him?”   
   
 Tsukishima glanced over to the side.   
   
 Semi Eita was still a mystery to Tsukishima. Donning  _Nine_  as his title, he seemed more grounded, more aware, than the other members of their group. He was the apparent brother of Sugawara Koushi, a mystery Tsukishima did not understand, though Semi seemed to have gained Goshiki’s trust.   
   
 Semi may have been the only one to gain Goshiki’s trust.   
   
 Tsukishima made eye contact with him, humming. “Yes. It is natural to be worried for him, given his recent loss.”   
   
 Semi nodded slowly. “Leave it to me, then.”   
   
 Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, but said nothing else. He watched Semi leave, going the same way Goshiki had just moments ago. Tsukishima sighed and faced forward. “Sarukui. Akinori. Report.”   
   
 Akinori glanced over his shoulder. “Estimated time of arrival is ten minutes, Captain.”   
   
 “Sarukui?”   
   
 “All systems functional,” Saruki said with a bright smile, “No enemies detected. Well. No… anything detected.”   
   
 Tsukishima sighed. “I hope the Chancellor sent us out here for a purpose…” He crossed his arms, ignoring the pain in his chest. “Our airship should be leading the charge against Rodzina… not out here doing… whatever he wants.”   
   
 “Hm,” came another voice. “You don’t like Daishou very much, do you?”   
   
 Tsukishima tensed impossibly at the sound of that voice.   
   
 Yamaguchi had his hands behind his back, and had asked the question with sincere honesty.   
   
 “No,” Tsukishima forced himself to say, “No I do not like him very much.”   
   
 Yamaguchi closed his eyes and then looked up at the ceiling. “That seems to be the general consensus amongst… well, everyone.”   
   
 Yaku, also in the room, checking on the weapon systems, frowned but kept his head down.   
   
 “Yes,” Tsukishima lowered his voice, “It is.”   
   
 “Hm. And yet I trust him with my whole heart.” Yamaguchi frowned. “Even though I can’t find a reason as to why I am so trusting of him…”   
   
 Tsukishima said nothing, just focused ahead.   
   
 Yamaguchi pondered his own words in silence before his eyes narrowed.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi walked along the deck of the Gold Eagle. He still preferred the Silver, and found he missed when his Sky Captain would yell that they were going to fly. Still, he had to admit that the ship was a beautiful work of art. It was grander than the Silver, but it was made more for direct confrontation than anything else.   
   
 Goshiki stiffened as he heard Semi’s approach.   
   
 Semi walked over, until they were next to each other, looking over the railing. He said nothing, letting silence fall.   
   
 Goshiki slumped a bit, leaning against Semi.   
   
 Semi considered putting an arm around Goshiki, but he figured maybe not yet. He wanted to, though.   
   
 “Woede,” Goshiki murmured, “They… they saved my crew. Rescued them from the crash. Healed them.”   
   
 Semi nodded deeply. “They survived.”   
   
 “I’m so thankful,” Goshiki whispered, throat becoming raw, “But I feel… guilty… for mourning, when they’re alive.”   
   
 “You lost your ship.”   
   
 “I lost my  _home.”_    
   
 Semi’s eyes softened; this time, he did slip an arm around Goshiki’s waist.   
   
 Goshiki leaned into him further. “This damn war!” He covered his face with his hand. “Damn Rodzina! Damn Chhal! Damn everything!”   
   
 Semi pulled him closer.   
   
 “Don’t touch me, you mongrel!”   
   
 Semi was shoved away, but he said nothing.   
   
 “You… You…” Goshiki’s eyes watered. “I’m sorry… I’m…”   
   
 “Shh.” Semi pulled him close. “Come here.”   
   
 “I’m sorry.”   
   
 “It’s okay. Forget about it.”   
   
 Goshiki slipped his arms around Semi and pressed his head into Semi’s neck, hiding there.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shirabu watched Goshiki and Semi from afar. The airship was large enough that the deck had two floors, and he watched from above. He took a slow, even breath, but tensed when he realised he wasn’t alone.   
   
 “You’re easy to sneak up on, Shirabubu, when you think too much.”   
   
 “Tendou,” Shirabu murmured without looking back. “You’re here to bother me again, it seems.”   
   
 “Always.” Tendou leaned on the railing as well, watching Semi. “You and SemiSemi…”   
   
 Shirabu clenched his jaw.   
   
 “It always looks like you’re reaching for him when he’s not looking.” Tendou’s eyes drifted towards Shirabu, piercing red. “You still have your memories… I can’t help but wonder what it is Semi hasn’t remembered yet.”   
   
 Shirabu forced himself to breathe. “Congratulations, Tendou, you’ve figured it out. Yes. Semi and I were together, three years ago, prior to all this.”   
   
 “Three years ago,” Tendou murmured. He rubbed his hands together and let his fingers intertwine, closing his hands and resting his chin on them. “And now it looks like he’s after another man.”   
   
 “We’ve always been open,” Shirabu corrected. “Eita and I have spoken at length about our… rules. Not that he remembers, but we have. It’s not surprising to find him comforting the annoying bowl cut now. He always went after strays.”   
   
 “Strays?”   
   
 “Stray cats, stray dogs, stray humans…” Shirabu sighed. “He has a weak point for them.”   
   
 “And you?” Tendou smirked. “Were you a stray?”   
   
 “That’s between myself and me.”   
   
 “You’re no fun, Shirabubu.” Tendou hummed. “So, have the two of you ever dated a third person, together?”   
   
 “No.” Shirabu moved his hair out of his eyes. “We are not like whatever Akaashi and Kuroo are up to. I have no interest in anyone besides Semi, and what he does with other people is not my concern. We both have our natures, and this is how we co-exist. Or how we used to, anyway.”   
   
 “You sound bitter.”   
   
 “Shut up.”   
   
 “Hm?” Tendou considered it. “Why so bitter about it, if this is all okay then?”   
   
 “It has nothing to do with Goshiki, or him giving Goshiki attention.”   
   
 “It’s just, then… that he’s not giving  _you_  any.”   
   
 Shirabu tensed.   
   
 “Bingo!”   
   
 “Do you want me to stab you?”   
   
 Tendou laughed. “So, Shirabu… why do you have your memories?”   
   
 “Classified. And.” Shirabu hummed. “It doesn’t make much of a difference now. Over half of us have our memories again.”   
   
 “Over half?” Tendou frowned. “There’s you, and six people who have gotten their memories again. That’s seven out of fourteen – so exactly half.”   
   
 “Fourteen,” Shirabu said with eyebrows shooting up. “I… forgot about… him.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata was near the back of the ship, on the second floor. The wind was loud, and ruffling his hair, but it wasn’t enough to silence Shirabu’s words. He heard them, as did Kageyama, who was standing next to him. He was facing the other way, towards the rolling hills of grey that the ship was passing.   
   
 Kageyama frowned at Shirabu over his shoulder before turning to Hinata. “Come here.”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Huh?”   
   
 Kageyama pulled him close.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened. “Ah.” He pressed his face against Kageyama’s chest. “You’re warm.”   
   
 “Well.” Kageyama looked away, feeling his cheeks tinge pink. “It’s cold up here, so…”   
   
 Hinata laughed a little, nodding. He closed his eyes and leaned into the warmth… but even that wasn’t enough to make him forget the sting of being endlessly forgotten.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Ushijima had his arms and legs crossed as he leaned against one of the walls on the deck, one of the walls on the first floor that led up to the second. His mind was a storm, and so he told himself not to think. It took great discipline for him not to race down the rabbit hole, wondering just what Her Majesty and the Chancellor were up to.   
   
 He took an even breath.   
   
 A shadow lunged beside him.   
   
 Ushijima frowned. “I understand your need to gather information,” he said slowly, “But be careful not to agitate your teammates.”   
   
 Tendou stood up slowly, smiling. “You heard my talk with Shirabubu?”   
   
 “I did.” Ushijima looked up. “The romantics mean nothing to me, though.”   
   
 “What?” Tendou put his hands on his hips. “You’re not even just a little curious about it?”   
   
 “Not particularly.”   
   
 “Really?”   
   
 “Hm.” Ushijima’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “I suppose my only interest would be to ascertain that Semi Eita is a good romantic partner for Goshiki, because I do care about him as a friend… however, it is not really my place to ascertain such things.”   
   
 “Ahhh.” Tendou threw his hands behind his head and leaned on the wall next to him. “You’re a really practical guy, Commander.”   
   
 Ushijima nodded. “Thank you.”   
   
 “So.” Tendou dropped his hands, letting his head hit the wall. His eyes looked up at the sky in a bored expression. “What do you make of that Fourteen…?”   
   
 “Hinata?”   
   
 “Yeah. The little shrimpy, the monster man.”   
   
 “Hm.” Ushijima’s eyes narrowed. “I was afraid at first, when I saw his combat ability… it was beyond human… and yet, one by one… each of you are ascending to the level of magic and skill that he has.”   
   
 Tendou shifted his head towards Ushijima.   
   
 “As a soldier, he is a decent unit. I have no complaints. He should watch his mouth in political situations, though…” Ushijima’s eyes narrowed. “As he does share many attributes to the Rahni of Chhal.” He squeezed his arm. “The identity, appearance, and name of the Rahni is always a kept secret. Only those of high power know it… but I understand you met Her Majesty of Earth herself.”   
   
 “Yeah.”   
   
 “Then I don’t know if there is much else to say.”   
   
 “No.” Tendou shook his head. “Just more questions.”   
   
 “Yes.” Ushijima sighed. “More questions.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 They finally reached their destination.   
   
 It was Sarukui who started yelling first. He had been monitoring mana waves and radiation, as that was the best way to detect other airships. His scanning spells had responded in small beeps, nothing… nothing… nothing; and, suddenly,  _everything._    
   
 The Fires of Valentia readied themselves.   
   
 “What stands before you is, obviously, a cave,” Ushijima addressed them. “If the ship, or any of us, were to go near it… we would indeed face crystal radiation and die. That being said, I have been assured by the Chancellor that the fourteen of you can safely enter this area and perform your mission. Your mission has not been told to anyone, but Her Majesty said you will understand when you get there.”   
   
 Akaashi took a deep breath.   
   
 Tendou pouted.   
   
 Kiyoko raised an eyebrow.   
   
 “I can provide no other information for you.” Ushijima saluted them all. “But good luck.”   
   
 “Yeah,” Hinata murmured, “Good luck to us…”   
   
 The fourteen of them descended from the airship and moved towards a small cave by the mountainside. They walked mostly in silence, each one of them donning their hoods. As a unit of fourteen, they moved to the mouth of the cave and discovered an eerie light that seemed to alternate slowly between red, yellow, green, and blue.   
   
 They moved inside.   
   
 The cave was, for the most part, a normal cavernous route that branched out.   
   
 “Which way?” Kiyoko asked, “Should we split up?”   
   
 “I would rather not,” Kuroo answered. “There’s something unnatural about this place.”   
   
 Kenma nodded behind his mask.   
   
 Semi looked around.   
   
 “This way.”   
   
 They glanced behind them.   
   
 Hinata was holding a hand out, and a small cord of red was coming from one of the paths towards him. “I think we’re supposed to go this way.”   
   
 They looked at each other, but no one could find a reason to disagree.   
   
 They began walking in that direction, Hinata leading them through. They eventually reached a room that was massive and cavernous, with a shining light in the centre. They walked towards it, not quite understanding what they were seeing until they paused.   
   
 Bokuto tilted his head. “Is that a clock?”   
   
 “A broken clock,” Shirabu murmured.   
   
 A crystal of pure white forged in a perfect circle extended outwards to form a clock, numbered in ancient numerals from one to twelve. Floating in the centre of it was a large spherical crystal of the same pure white light.   
   
 Aone felt a chill and turned suddenly. He gasped.   
   
 They looked as well.   
   
 Hanging from the ceiling, held up by red cords around his wrists and neck, was Terushima, unconscious.   
   
 Hinata stepped forward. “That’s!”   
   
 “Nuru’s Chancellor,” Sugawara completed.   
   
 “Yes,” came another voice.   
   
 They faced the crystal clock again, but this time someone was standing in front of it.   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed. “Sakusa.”   
   
 Sakusa Kiyoomi wore black robes with a lowered hood. The light behind him was intense, and his shadow was massive amongst the ground, swallowing them all. “Well. It seems we were to meet again sooner than I thought. You know who I am, so do me a favour… All I know of you is that you are Daishou’s pets. So. Announce yourselves.”   
   
 There was a moment of silence, as they had been taken off guard before, “Kageyama Tobio,” he murmured, “I am from Valentia. I represent One.”   
   
 “Akaashi Keiji, Two, Valentia.”   
   
 “Kyoutani Kentarou, Three, Woede.”   
   
 “Kuroo Tetsurou, Four, Valentia.”   
   
 “Bokuto Koutarou! Five! Valentia all the way!”   
   
 “Sugawara Koushi. Six. Woede.”   
   
 “Tendou Satori!” He gave a thumbs up. “Seven! And I have no idea where I’m from!”   
   
 “Shirabu Kenjirou.” He clicked his tongue. “Eight.”   
   
 “Semi Eita, Nine. Unknown.” He motioned to his side. “And this is Aone, Ten. From what we understand, Chhal, though he does not speak.”   
   
 Aone just made firm eye contact with Sakusa.   
   
 “Eleven,” Kenma murmured.   
   
 “Twelve. Kiyoko Shimizu. Valentia.”   
   
 “Yamaguchi Tadashi. Thirteen.” He gave a sheepish smile. “Pretty sure Valentia, but don’t quote me on it.”   
   
 “Um.” Hinata felt the heat of Sakusa’s glare. “Fourteen.” He stepped forward. “Hinata Shouyou… no origin.”   
   
 Sakusa raised a hand to his face and stroked his clean-shaven jaw. “At least you understand that much, Fourteen.” He stepped forward and glared. “Welcome, then, all of you… to the World’s Heart.”   
   
 “That’s, uh.” Bokuto bit his lip. “Not a metaphor, is it?”   
   
 “I’m afraid not.” Sakusa motioned to the clock behind him. “All life, all planets, originate from crystals. It is from the crystal legends, we too arise.” He turned back towards them. “All life emanates from this… Life is the same as Death, they are one and the same. All magic comes from this fount of power, here.”   
   
 “So,” Shirabu murmured, “It is our duty to protect that crystal, then?   
   
 “Or destroy it,” Tendou said in a hum. When he got a few glares, he raised his hands defensively. “If life is death, and death is life… that would mean to protect is to destroy, and to destroy is to protect. Right?”   
   
 Sakusa’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”   
   
 “Ah, it just.” Tendou scratched his head. “Sounds like something… someone told me, a long time ago.”   
   
 Sakusa hummed.   
   
 “Okay but!” Hinata stepped forward as he pointed backwards and upwards at Terushima. “What does he have to do with this?”   
   
 “Mongrel,” Sakusa murmured. “Your existence is the only one that is not welcome here. You have no right to question me.”   
   
 Hinata didn’t take a step back. “Answer me!”   
   
 A long silence was held as they glared at one another, before being interrupted by a murmur. Both Sakusa and Hinata snapped their heads towards the source of the noise.   
   
 Kenma glanced away.   
   
 Akaashi, who was looking at Kenma, turned to Sakusa. “He asked why the crystal is broken in so many places.”   
   
 Sakusa raised his chin. “Because I shattered it.” He raised his hand and formed a claw; a crack spiralled around one of the numbers of the clock.   
   
 Kuroo stepped forward. “Wait! Don’t!”   
   
 As Sakusa clenched his hand into a fist, that part of the clock  _shattered._    
   
 Black fluid burst from the cracks and swirled together, creating one of the large sentient beasts that they had fought before.   
   
 “Are you…” Kageyama’s eyes widened. “You… You’re using the lifeblood of the planet to attack Valentia!? Are you, are you mad!? Sakusa!”   
   
 “To protect is to destroy,” Sakusa murmured, “To kill is to give life.”   
   
 “Honestly.” Yamaguchi summoned his rapier. “Our Chancellor seems a lot less crazy now!”   
   
 Kiyoko summoned her bow and quiver. “Chancellor of Earth—we cannot allow this beast to exist!”   
   
 Sakusa just swiped his hand, ordering the beast to attack.   
   
 The fourteen of them lunged into action.   
   
 Tendou summoned his short swords and moved through the shadows to strike from above. “My time to shine!”   
   
 The beast lashed out, whipping at him hard.   
   
 Tendou hit the ground, and was knocked unconscious in one strike.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Oi…”  
   
 The boy closed his eyes, ducking his head.   
   
 “Oi, kiddo.” Saeko kicked the tarp that was covering him. “What are you doing here?”   
   
 The boy kept his eyes closed.   
   
 Saeko let out a sigh and moved down, squatting in front of the kid. “You don’t have to hide from everyone all the time… Satori.”   
   
 The small boy peered up, through his red bangs, limbs shaking.   
   
 Saeko sighed. The woman was in her mid-twenties, but with eyes that spoke of a wisdom beyond her age. She reached out her hand, gently, waiting patiently.   
   
 Eventually the boy took her hand, small fingers clasping onto her much bigger ones.   
   
 Saeko smiled and turned towards the centre of town.   
   
 There was a large fountain in the centre, and the water sprayed up; with the wind, some speckles of water tapped the boy’s face and he couldn’t help but laugh a little.   
   
 “You’ll be okay,” Saeko assured. “I’m here.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tendou’s eyes opened.   
   
 For a moment, he didn’t know where or who or why he was…   
   
 He blinked once, twice.   
   
 The ceiling was made of wood, and he was resting on some kind of bed. There was a cool cloth over his forehead. He didn’t think too much about it, but peeled it off. He laid it by the bedside table and stood up.   
   
 For a moment, Tendou swore he had vertigo as he felt the room spin, but… He stood up, feeling the floorboards move beneath his feet. No, this was… Tendou looked around, in the small cabin he was in. He went towards the door and opened it.   
   
 The smell of saltwater hit him, and it reminded him of a faraway place he had forgotten.   
   
 Tendou stepped out, onto the deck of this vessel, and looked around.   
   
 “Tendou.”   
   
 Tendou turned quickly.   
   
 Ushijima was walking towards him. “It seems you’ve awoken. You are up much earlier than anticipated.”   
   
 “Ah.” Tendou wanted to force a smile, but his eyes were drawn to the edges of the vessel. “We’re on a boat.”   
   
 “Yes.” Ushijima nodded. “We’ve split into groups. We’ve been given another cryptic mission I cannot truly understand, but the armies of our allies are advancing upon Rodzina by land and air. We are travelling by sea.”   
   
 “Ah.” Tendou closed his eyes and took in the smell of the ocean, humming, as the scent tickled his nose in a familiar way. He scrunched up his face a few times and laughed. “Where…”   
   
 Sakusa.   
   
 His eyes widened. “What happened? In the fight?”   
   
 “From what I’ve been told, you were knocked out fairly early on. The beast was defeated, but Sakusa got away.” Ushijima crossed his arms. “You returned with Terushima, which is our second time rescuing him. Nuru is again in our debt.”   
   
 “I got knocked out right away?” Tendou sulked. “Aww that’s so lame…”   
   
 Ushijima cracked the smallest smile. “Are you feeling better?”   
   
 “Yeah…” Tendou sighed. “So, we split up, huh? Who’s on our team?”   
   
 “One, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, and Fourteen.”   
   
 “Kageyama, Suga, me! Shirabubu, SemiSemi, Aone, and the little monster man?”   
   
 “Yes.” Ushijima nodded. “I am also assisting your side, as Goshiki and Tsukishima are with the other team.”   
   
 Tendou threw his arms behind his head. “Okay, so what’s the plan, Commander?”   
   
 “We are to begin a stealth operation to the capital, by landing in an inlet seaside town.”   
   
 “Stealth operation.” Tendou looked up at the full moon that was rising. “Is Aone good at stealth?”   
   
 “Yes, very.”   
   
 “What about Shirabubu?”   
   
 Ushijima crossed his arms. “I have never heard of Shirabu on a stealth mission prior to this, though it seems he has some critical role to play in the coming events.”   
   
 Tendou put his hands on his hips. “Well, we’ll just have to see what happens when we hit land.”   
   
 Ushijima nodded as well.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama felt his cloak rustle in the wind. It seemed Tendou was awake, but the rest of the ship was silent. Sugawara and Semi were leaning on the railing together, looking at the water, but they weren’t conversing as they usually did. Aone was silent as always. Shirabu had holed himself up inside. The only person missing was Hinata. Kageyama walked around the ship, and eventually found him on the upper deck.   
   
 Hinata glanced over his shoulder as Kageyama advanced.   
   
 Kageyama walked towards him and glanced out to the ocean.   
   
 “Hey, Kags.” Hinata turned back, leaning on the railing. “Have you ever been to Rodzina?”   
   
 “No.” Kageyama shook his head. “I spent my whole life in Valentia… I never had the funds or the money to move around, and just lived in the poorer part of the royal city. In the orphanage.”   
   
 Hinata hummed, leaning a bit more on the railing. “Must be nice, to have a… history, I guess.”   
   
 “You will have one too,” Kageyama assured. “Our memories are awakening, one by one, and—”   
   
 “Nah.” Hinata shook his head. “I think… I think I’ve accepted it, Kageyama. I’m not real. I never existed before this war.”  
   
 Kageyama glanced at Hinata.   
   
 “A part of me wonders… if I didn’t exist before this war…” Hinata’s eyes softened. “Will I exist after this war…?”   
   
 “Of course you will.” Kageyama frowned. “Do you need a history, Hinata?”   
   
 Hinata tilted his head, looking at him.   
   
 “You exist now.” Kageyama’s frown deepened. “Isn’t that enough?”   
   
 “Maybe.” Hinata closed his eyes. “But I was never supposed to exist… I’m a thing that should not be.”   
   
 “So is that other person…”   
   
 “The Chancellor of Nuru?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 Hinata smiled. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but—” His eyes caught sight of something and his expression went blank. “Landfall,” he whispered, “We should get ready.”   
   
 Kageyama stared at the coastal town they were approaching. He wanted to say more, wanted to say so much more to Hinata, but he bit his lip and frowned. He wanted more but, first—first off—for now, he was a soldier. The war would come first.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tendou was stepping off the boat when it hit him like a gust of wind; his eyes went wide, his hair rustled, and he felt feathers blast around him in a space that could not be.   
   
  _A claw, ripping through her chest—a gigantic nail piercing her body. Blood, the blood—_    
   
 Ushijima grasped his arm.   
   
 Tendou steadied himself.   
   
  _A scream. The woman’s scream, or was it—was it his own?_    
   
 “Tendou? Tendou.” Ushijima frowned. “Tendou.”   
   
 Tendou knew what he was seeing—Death magic, and yet—   
   
 “Satori!”   
   
 Tendou snapped to the side.   
   
 Ushijima looked at him, eyes shaking slightly. “Are you alright?”   
   
 “I…” Tendou took a shaky breath. “I was…”   
   
 “You did not look well. I was… worried.”   
   
 “Aww, Ushimushi,” Tendou coo’ed. “How sweet.”   
   
 “I do not believe that is an appropriate term for your Commanding Officer.”   
   
 Tendou laughed. “Sorry, sorry.” He smiled bright, but the smile faded. “I think I was on the verge… of remembering something.”   
   
 Ushijima let go of his arm. “I… apologise.”   
   
 “No.” Tendou shook his head. “It wasn’t a good memory…”   
   
 “I see.” Ushijima looked around. “Does this town mean something to you, then?”   
   
 Tendou looked up at the wooden buildings all around him. “Maybe.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 With a spell from Tendou, shadows covered each of them, turning their cloaks into black ones that melded into the shadows. The eight of them—Ushijima joining them for this mission—made their way through the town. As they walked around, several townspeople gasped at them, but said nothing. They did their best not to cause a panic.   
   
 “They know who we are,” Semi murmured, “And they’re not giving us away.”   
   
 Sugawara glanced sidelong. “They’re letting us pass.”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 Shirabu sighed. “Tendou,” he said with a bite, “Stop that.”   
   
 Tendou had been looking around, left and right, in the least discreet way possible. He was biting his lip for the most part, and only stopped to say, “I know this place.”   
   
 “Congrats,” came Shirabu’s voice from behind. “Now can we focus on moving towards—”   
   
 Aone summoned his quarterstaff and slammed the ground.   
   
 Hinata crouched a little. “Something is wrong.”   
   
 Ushijima glanced up. “Scatter!”   
   
 Arrows hurtled towards them.   
   
 Without thinking, each of them darted in different directions, and yet—   
   
 Tendou’s eyes widened. Two civilians had the arrows rain down on them. “No!” He felt his throat burn. “Not here!”   
   
 Semi growled. “Tendou, focus on the big picture!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _The child was still small, but a little older. Time had gone on, and he had slowly begun to talk more to the other kids. They had been nasty to him before, but since his big sister Saeko (she wasn’t his real sister, but he liked to think of her like that) had gotten involved, they’d started being nice to him. Still, not a word passed through his lips, but he played with the other kids and was invited to things now.  
   
 It was a day like any other, until—   
   
 It was the first time Tendou had seen Death.   
   
 The first of many times he would see Death.   
   
 But as a child, all he could do was scream as it charged towards him.   
   
 In an amalgamous, fluid form, it formed a hand, a claw, and it was ready to tear him apart.   
   
 One second, he had no chance—the next.   
   
 Saeko.   
   
 The boy’s eyes widened.   
   
 The fluid claw speared through Saeko’s chest, and she held it back.   
   
 It wasn’t long before the other guards took down the beast, and the claw was ripped out of Saeko’s chest, leaving a gashing wound behind.   
   
 Saeko hit the floor.   
   
 The boy ran over, screaming, tears running down his face.   
   
 “I’m sorry…” Saeko coughed through blood. “Wanted… to save you.”   
   
 The boy’s hands were shaking as he knelt before her broken form.   
   
 “I love you… little Sat…ori…”   
   
 The boy couldn’t think, couldn’t see.   
   
 “Love… you…”   
   
 The boy’s hands began to glow. Black with red dancing within it. Death. He pressed his hands into the wound.   
   
 Saeko’s eyes widened.   
   
 And the boy was enveloped in radiant light._    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 There was a scream and a howl, and Tendou realised what they had all realised.   
   
 “Sakusa,” Hinata whispered as he jumped back, feet grinding against the cement to slow him down. “He’s using another one of those beasts—here?”   
   
 “This whole town,” Tendou said, “It’s gonna—”   
   
 Semi growled. “Tendou! The big picture! We have to get to the capital!”   
   
 Tendou turned to him, eyes wide. “No…”   
   
 A whip-blade speared two of the archers and slashed a third. It returned to its sword form in Shirabu’s hand. “Sakusa figured out our plan!”   
   
 Ushijima spun a massive axe through the last soldier. “We must prepare for battle.” He looked over his shoulder. “The beast will be upon us soon. We can decide our next move once the current threat has been destroyed.”   
   
 Suga glanced to Semi, and they both nodded. They scattered into formation.   
   
 Hinata whirled his scythe and gathered the Death from the fallen soldiers to make his weapon glow.   
   
 Kageyama moved some hair out of his eyes and muttered arcane runes to empower himself.   
   
 Aone swirled his quarterstaff overhead before taking his stance.   
   
 “But!” Tendou looked around. “We can’t! We can’t fight it here! Not here!”   
   
 Shirabu backed away a bit and readied a spell. “Well sucks to suck, Tendou, because it’s coming this way!”   
   
 The gate burst open and a cheetah the size of several buildings raced towards them.   
   
 Tendou sank down and was swallowed by shadows of his own making. He reappeared high above the beast. He threw his short swords in wide arcs before diving down. His blades spun through the air, slicing the beast’s flesh before returning to his hands. He stabbed down, with both weapons, and heard it scream.   
   
 Shirabu spoke in an ancient tongue and swirled his hand left, right, then up.   
   
 Force broke the floor beneath the beast and its front legs were thrown up from a second point of gravity. Between the point and the centre of the planet, a beam of purple light seared the underside of the beast.   
   
 Shirabu smirked.   
   
 But the beast threw itself back, recovering, and charged forward again.   
   
 Semi and Suga dove in from the side, slashing several lines along its side.   
   
 Tendou, in the air again, threw his blades. From his vantage point, he could see and hear the civilians running and screaming. But, there, he saw one civilian charging towards—not away from—the beast.   
   
 A woman with blond hair, leaping up to the fountain before kicking off. With one strike from her foot, she kicked the beast hard enough to send it flying.   
   
 Tendou dove down to her. “Saeko!”   
   
 Saeko spun around. “How do you know my name!?”   
   
 Tendou just looked at her, seeing the beast charging just behind.   
   
 Saeko’s eyes widened. “Satori…”   
   
 The beast lunged, claws ready to—   
   
 Tendou’s eyes widened.  _No._  He shoved her out of the way.   
   
 Saeko was thrown to the ground. “Sator—” Her eyes widened.   
   
 From across the battle, Ushijima yelled, “Tendou!”   
   
 And a claw tore through Tendou’s chest.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _Eventually the boy took her hand, small fingers clasping onto her much bigger ones.  
   
 Saeko smiled and turned towards the centre of town.   
   
 There was a large fountain in the centre, and the water sprayed up; with the wind, some speckles of water tapped the boy’s face and he couldn’t help but laugh a little.   
   
 “You’ll be okay,” Saeko assured. “I’m here.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The claw tore through his chest, and blood burst from his body.   
   
 Saeko’s eyes widened.   
   
 Ushijima was still roaring.   
   
 Shirabu gasped, as Semi and Sugawara watched, only realising then how powerless they were.   
   
 Aone almost dropped his quarterstaff.   
   
 Hinata yelled, as Kageyama felt his knees go weak.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Sat…ori!?”  
   
 The boy felt flooded with magic, with power, and he poured it into Saeko’s wound. As much as he could, as much as he could… Tears streamed down his face and he screamed as he felt it, felt the world at his fingertips. Beneath his fingers, he could feel the body reconstructing impossibly, and he knew he was doing it, he knew he was fixing it, healing her.   
   
 Saeko grunted, and soon the light faded. She looked at her stomach, flat and not torn.   
   
 The beast had been taken down by the others, but several people were running over.   
   
 The soldiers, and the scientists, were telling everyone to get back, but none of that mattered then.   
   
 The boy looked at his hands.   
   
 “It’s known as Death,” Saeko explained quietly. “We accumulate it… it’s the power of crystals, the crystals that created this world… Along our lifetime, we gather more, and become more powerful… some people don’t gather any… other people have a lot… it depends on who you are, and what you do, I guess. There are ways… to help accumulate it.”   
   
 The boy looked at her.   
   
 “I’m so sorry…” Saeko’s eyes filled with tears. “I made you… use Death… I’m. I worry what it’s done to you now, little Satori… you shouldn’t have—”   
   
 “I should have!”   
   
 Saeko’s eyes widened.   
   
 “I should have…” The boy said, “I wasn’t… wrong! To help you…”   
   
 Saeko laughed. “I didn’t know you could talk, little monster man.”   
   
 The boy’s cheeks tinged pink.   
   
 “You’re a good kid, Satori.” Saeko pulled him close. “Thank you. I love you.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tendou’s eyes snapped open.   
   
 The air brimmed with energy.   
   
 “Seven.” Tendou’s eyes were wide and shaking, like a hungry demon released from its cage. The heat swirled around him, the shadows as well. “Lucky Seven!” He spun, wildly, tearing the beast apart and making ribbons of flesh out of its arm. He kicked off the ground and vaulted into the sky.   
   
 The beast screamed and looked up.   
   
 Tendou’s stomach was flat and whole, and his clothes had reformed to cover the wound. “Seven isn’t the number of luck,” he assured, “It’s the number of hope!” He dove down and slashed off another limb. “It’s the belief that we can change! The belief that our lucky chance is on its way!” He spun twice more, cleaving heavy gashes into the beast.   
   
 The beast screamed and lunged.   
   
 “Hope isn’t just chance, though.” He struck quick and hard, tearing two lines into the beast, splitting it wide open.   
   
 The beast was cleaved, and it crashed onto the ground in two.   
   
 “Hope… it’s something we make for ourselves.” Tendou sheathed his blades and closed his eyes. “We have to draw it out from each other, from ourselves. Seven.” He opened his eyes. “It’s the chance to turn the odds in your favour.”   
   
 The beast lay still, dead.   
   
 Ushijima’s eyes were wide.   
   
 Saeko whispered, “Little Satori…”   
   
 “I was born in this village,” Tendou realised. “The village was just a front… we lived here to hide Rodzina’s experiments, so the other nations wouldn’t realise this was a research outpost. But because I came in contact with Death magic, I was taken away… I found my element, Shadow, and I trained. I was an assassin, like you.”   
   
 Saeko stared, nodding once.   
   
 “We hunted down those who misused Death,” Tendou whispered, “Under the orders of Chancellor Alisa.”   
   
 Hinata looked at him. “Those… who misuse, Death?”   
   
 “Ah.” Tendou smiled at him. “I don’t know what that means here…”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 “But.” Tendou grinned wide. “I believe in our cause! I think we’re doing the good thing. Right?”   
   
 Hinata nodded. “Yeah.”   
   
 “Then.” Tendou glanced at Shirabu. “Next stop, the Capital.”   
   
 Shirabu nodded. “Yes.”   
   
 “I’m afraid not,” came Sugawara’s voice. He was holding the sending stones they used for communication. “There’s been a change of plans… We won’t have enough time to go to the capital.”   
   
 Shirabu spun around. “We must!”   
   
 Aone frowned.   
   
 Ushijima raised a hand to calm Shirabu. “Why? Her Majesty told us we have to go the Capital, but she never told us why. What is it we must do there?”   
   
 Shirabu looked torn as he glanced between Ushijima and the ground.   
   
 “Hey.” Tendou glanced at Shirabu. “It’s okay to have secrets.” He swore he thought Shirabu was giving him a thankful look, but maybe that was just his imagination. “We’ll find another way to the Capital. We’ll figure this out, okeydokey? What’s going on, Six?”   
   
 “Well, we have two problems.” Sugawara took a deep, even breath. “Sakusa… He didn’t just unleash a beast here. He unleashed  _three_  at once in the main battlefield. They need us back there, or the entire army will fall.”   
   
 Tendou and Shirabu started.   
   
 “It gets worse.” Sugawara looked down. “There’s another one… heading this way. It knows we’re here, and they’re stalling our advance. The army of Rodzina is coming with it.”   
   
 “Hey, uh.” Saeko stood up slowly. “I don’t get any of this… but… you gotta head back to the main army, Satori.”   
   
 Tendou blinked. “But! If I do that—”   
   
 “We’ll be dead, I know.” Saeko smiled. “But if Valentia falls… Look, the world is at war, and we’re just a little town. We’ll hide, and try not to let them kill us.”   
   
 “No!” Tendou grit his teeth. “Hecky fucky no! I just found my home again, I won’t—”   
   
 A roar in the distance.   
   
 Kageyama glanced sidelong. “Looks like it’s already here. Commander?”   
   
 Ushijima squeezed the handle of his axe. “We abandon the capital.”   
   
 Shirabu yelled, “No! If we do… the war is over!”   
   
 Saeko turned to Tendou. “Go!”   
   
 Tendou said, “No!”   
   
 Ushijima glared. “Shirabu!”   
   
 Shirabu said, “No!”   
   
 Aone grunted and slammed his quarterstaff on the ground.   
   
 Kageyama spun around. “This is touching and all.” He charged up his magic. “But we’ve run out of time.”   
   
 Hinata held his scythe with two hands. “We gotta stand and fight! We can figure out the next move after that!”   
   
 “Idiots!” Saeko kicked Tendou in the shin, eliciting a yell. “Rodzina’s soldiers and the beast is just a stall! Soon their whole army is gonna come here! If they can split off the Fires and kill them, they will!”   
   
 “How!?” Tendou looked up. “How can you ask me to leave, now!?”   
   
 “Because!” Saeko yelled, “If Valentia doesn’t save Rodzina, no one will! Help your main army!”   
   
 Tendou opened his mouth, but—   
   
 “… Waterways…”   
   
 They all turned.   
   
 Semi seemed a thousand miles away, looking at the ground. “I have the vague memory… of underground waterways.”   
   
 “Of course!” Shirabu’s eyes burned bright. “That’s where we have to go, anyway! But… they don’t extend this far out…”   
   
 “They do!” Tendou turned to him. “Alisa had a secret passage from the research facility! Maybe the new Emperor or the army don’t know about it! We could—”   
   
 Aone stomped hard, and sand picked up all around them.   
   
 Ushijima gripped his axe. “Ma’am.”   
   
 Saeko turned to him. “Yeah?”   
   
 “Organise the civilians and get them underground.” Ushijima scowled. “I still don’t know what we should do… but this town is about to become a warzone.” 


	8. Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I'm actually updating both of my multichap fics today (the other is a sci-fi fic, which you should check out!) and I'll update them both again in two weeks as I'm going to be out of the country for about 10 or so days. I mean I'll have WiFi but probably not a lot of WiFi so I'll probably reply to comments late, but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's reading and supporting this fic, as well as my other one. <3
> 
> Okay, but. How can I have a Shirabu chapter without a shoutout to Kaiyou? I know most people associate Kenma with Kaiyou, but it was their writing of Shirabu (Scions & Sake series mainly) that revived the urge to write inside me. They constantly inspire me, and embody a lot of what I think a great writer should have: Creativity, kindness, love, and knowing when to be silly, and when to be serious. My world has gotten exponentially better since they came into my life, tbh, so Kai idk if you're gonna read this but this chapter goes to you! I highly recommend [reading their fics on AO3.](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiyou) So check them out!
> 
> But, anyway, back to the Rodzina arc -- enjoy Chapter 8!
> 
> * * *

 Oikawa Tooru sat alone in the dark room, a majestic room with rich blue curtains that came alive and seemed to shimmer like the waves of the sea when they were hit by sunlight… but now they were cold and still, as was the rest of the palace. The majority of Rodzina’s army had been sent out. But not Oikawa Tooru.   
   
 Oikawa had his head in his hand.   
   
 Irihata had ordered him to secure the defenses of the capital, and prepare for any stealth strikes. Irihata Nobuteru was the general of Rodzina’s army, often nicknamed ‘coachy’ since he had worked with many elite soldiers from when they were just kids. Secure the defences? Oikawa didn’t even need to do that. With Iwaizumi leading the troops in the palace, Oikawa had retired to this chamber and hid himself under the dark light of the moonless sky.   
   
 The room had wide openings to the outside. Usually, he would walk outside, lean on the railings of the terrace, and watch the beauty of the endless sea below. He loved the sound of the waves, the scent of saltwater – things that made home… home.   
   
 Oikawa Tooru could only hear and smell them faintly now.   
   
 He closed his eyes shut and slumped further against his chair.   
   
 “Iwa,” he whispered, knowing Iwaizumi was not there, “Am I… even worthy of being a prince?”   
   
 His father was colluding with Sakusa. When his father had explained that it was Valentia’s Queen that had killed the Empress, Oikawa had jumped up with anger to support the cause. But after seeing how Sakusa had struck Woede mid-meeting…   
   
 “I am a fool,” he whispered. “Father used me…” He lowered his head even further.   
   
 The soldiers of Rodzina would never take up arms for the Emperor against the other nations, he could have never stirred the hearts of the people. It wasn’t that the Emperor was disliked, but he didn’t capture the heart of the people the way the Empress, the First Prince or the Second Princess had. But Oikawa could see it now, his father didn’t have to – all it took was enough lies, and Oikawa had done it for him. Oikawa had taken Rodzina’s army and placed it into his father’s hands, and now Rodzina was out there with soldiers and airships and mages, killing the people of three other nations.   
   
 The worst part was the beasts Sakusa was using…   
   
 Oikawa had gotten chills whenever he had seen one of them; and, even now, he shivered at the mere thought of them. “I am a fool,” he repeated, “A worthless prince…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aboard the Gold Eagle, Tsukishima’s heart was pounding. The armies of Rodzina and Chhal were proving to be every bit challenging as he’d expected. Even with three nations against two, the losses were quickly starting to add up. “It’s up to us to lead the charge,” he reminded everyone in the cockpit. “We need to inspire the soldiers below. Yaku, ready the next strike.”   
   
 Yaku glanced up from his seat. “Ready to go, Sky Captain! Just tell us where to aim!”   
   
 Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 “To the north-east,” Yamaguchi offered, “There’s a strong reading of magic. It may be Chhal’s defense spells that are aiding the rest of the army, right? They’re, uh… known for their wide radius…”   
   
 Tsukishima hummed thoughtfully. He glanced at Yaku, who was giving him a nod. “Do it.”   
   
 The entire ship rocked from the strength of its canons, and it required several hands on deck to stabilise the ship.   
   
 “Sky Captain,” Kuroo’s voice picked up, “What exactly would you have us do?”   
   
 Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder. “Right now, we need to understand the battle before we place major units. Every war is like a river, with an ebb and flow… putting ourselves in a place where the high tide comes in would be… disadvantageous.”   
   
 “Oh.” Kuroo grinned. “So you remember the metaphors I taught you, huh?”   
   
 “Tch.” Tsukishima scowled. “I thought your squad had no memories.”   
   
 “Some of us have reclaimed them,” Akaashi explained, “But not all.”   
   
 “Really!” came a loud voice as someone charged towards Kenma. “That means you remember me! Right? Right!”   
   
 Tsukishima assumed Kenma was happy he had that mask on.   
   
 Kenma shook his head.   
   
 “Lev!” Yaku yelled, “Get back in position!”   
   
 “But Kenma!” Lev whined, “We’re basically best friends!”   
   
 “I.” Kenma looked at him. “Don’t think so…”   
   
 Yaku let out a sharp laugh.   
   
 Lev looked broken hearted.   
   
 “Can we focus?” Tsukishima snapped.   
   
 Lev sulked back to his seat.   
   
 Yamaguchi laughed. “It seems lively here… and familiar.”   
   
 Tsukishima took in a sharp breath, the memory of the wound in his chest not leaving him. “It, can get annoying here… my squad worked closely with Kuroo’s.”   
   
 Kuroo made eye contact with Yaku, Kenma with Lev. Akaashi’s eyes met with Akinori’s, while Bokuto’s fell on Sarukui.   
   
 Yamaguchi felt his cheeks heat slightly, realising he was standing closer to Tsukishima than he realised. Why was he so drawn to—?   
   
 “Oh!” Bokuto yelled, fumbling his sending stone. “Kyoutani and Kiyoko said they’re done taking out the commando force on the south-east side!”   
   
 Tsukishima snapped back to focus. “Sarukui, keep me updated on any magic fluctuations – Yaku, Lev, prepare another barrage. Akinori—”   
   
 “Got it.” Akinori nodded. “Leave it to us.”   
   
 Akaashi hummed thoughtfully as he walked over to Akinori’s workstation. “You’ve always been reliable.”   
   
 “Hm.” Akinori glanced up. He lowered his voice to a whisper, “Are you one of the ones with your memories back?”   
   
 “All of us here, except Kenma and Yamaguchi.”   
   
 “Really?” Akinori snorted. “I’m surprised Bokuto isn’t bothering Sarukui, to show him how everything works as usual.”   
   
 “Well.” Akaashi smirked. “Kuroo had the idea of making him listen in on the sending stones… it keeps him busy.”   
   
 “Makes him feel important, I bet.”   
   
 Akaashi laughed a little and took the seat next to him. “Nothing wrong with feeling important,” he pointed out.   
   
 “Nah.” Akinori smirked. “Probably not.” He raised his voice suddenly, “Alright! The Gold Eagle’s ready for a sharp turn!”   
   
 Tsukishima grabbed the wheel. “Let’s go.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 In the Royal City, in Valentia, two adults were huddled over a small transmission crystal while the kids were all distracted by other things. They were updated every now and then, of which airship went down, which squad was lost, and which side was making advancements. They listened intently, to every word, feeling powerless, and yet their hearts were filled with words they wanted to say.   
   
 “This…” Akane whispered, “This really is a war.”   
   
 Tora nodded slowly. He swallowed hard. “Yeah.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi sat on her throne, flanked by two burning embers. The mages were broad-casting and scrying, providing visuals for her, as well as sending messages to her officers and squads. She took a deep breath as she tried to take in all the information and make the best possible choice. She didn’t know what the right answer was, but she also knew there truly was no “right” answer… she just had to take chances, risks, and gambles…   
   
 Still.   
   
 Yachi’s eyes narrowed. “This is…” She swallowed hard. “This is going along smoothly…”   
   
 A projected image to the side, tinted green, showed High Thane Yahaba sitting on his throne in Woede. Yahaba’s eyes tensed. “Too smoothly.”   
   
 Yachi nodded.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sakusa stood atop one of the high mountains that overlooked the two armies clashing against each other. He hummed, as if bored, watching the airships fire at each other. The air battles were supposed to be impressive, but the sky was never his domain. No. As Chancellor of Earth, he was always more focused on the ground troops.   
   
 Arrows, cannons, and spells were being thrown from both sides, and the soldiers charged on horseback or by themselves, with swords and lances.   
   
 Sakusa summoned in his mind the image of the crystal clock – the World’s Heart.   
   
 It was brimming with life, with power.   
   
 Sakusa raised his hand, as if he was reaching for the image in his mind, and he  _snapped_  one of the twelve points… then another… then another…   
   
 Opening his eyes—   
   
 Sakusa had three crystals swirling around him, bright and blinding. “Go,” he told them as he swiped his hand forward. “Go!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The soldiers of Valentia, Woede, and Nuru were gaining ground fast. The extreme size of Rodzina’s army was not as fearmongering as it used to be, and the impressive specialised talents of Chhal’s soldiers seemed far and few between. They advanced, and advanced.   
   
 And soon—   
   
 They  _screamed._    
   
 The beasts came, three of them.   
   
 A worm that broke through the earth beneath them, a bat that flew high and released sonar blasts, and a tortoise that moved with speed that belied its form.   
   
 If they had just been beasts, the soldiers would not have feared. Training regularly meant facing off against summons and other beasts, but these ones…   
   
 “It’s not working!” a mage from Nuru yelled, panic rising in his voice, “None of our spells are working!”   
   
 An archer from Woede fired the perfect shot, but her arrow shattered on impact, not damaging the thing in the slightest. “Fall back!” she screamed, “Fall back!”   
   
 But the bat released another sonar blast—and their squad was wiped out of existence.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aboard the Gold Eagle, Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed. Seeing three beasts tear through their ranks, all at once, made his throat tighten. “Prepare the cannons!” he said, despite his mind screaming at him to take the ship and run, “Prepare to fire on the aerial beast!”   
   
 “No!”   
   
 Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder.   
   
 Goshiki stepped forward. “That won’t work!”   
   
 “But if we don’t—”   
   
 “It won’t work!” Goshiki shook his head. “This isn’t a summon, this isn’t Karasuno again… these monsters…” He looked down. “I wish Semi was here…”   
   
 “Sky Captain Tsukishima,” Kiyoko’s voice cut in, “Goshiki is right. These are creatures made from the very lifeforce of the world… only those touched by Death can destroy it.”   
   
 “Exactly!” Goshiki looked at her, then Tsukishima again. “But we’ve split the Fires of Valentia… at times it took only squads of five or six to take one of these down… but there’s three of them, and only seven of the Fires here.”   
   
 “Well,” Kuroo cut in, “Kiyoko and I took down a beast by ourselves, with Kenma’s help, though…”   
   
 “We utilised the ocean,” Kiyoko reminded, “And it’s doubtful we will get the chance to use environmental factors for all three… What Sky Captain Goshiki is saying is correct: It is unlikely we will be a strong enough force to stop all three beasts, given our numbers. We had best recall our other teammates.”   
   
 Kuroo nodded. “Right. They have to forsake the mission.”   
   
 “And,” Kenma murmured, “If they can’t…?”   
   
 Several eyes turned to him.   
   
 Kenma shifted his head a little, which rocked the mask over his face. “The Queen made it clear their mission was of the utmost importance… unlikely… that they can leave their post.”   
   
 “Tch.” Kyoutani rolled his shoulders. “Then we take down the beasts, or get taken down.”   
   
 Tsukishima bit his lip.   
   
 Yamaguchi nodded slowly.   
   
 “If you guys don’t mind,” Akinori murmured, “We’re about to lose our entire army while you decide…”   
   
 Goshiki took a deep breath. “I am the Second-in-Command of the Fires of Valentia, and I am making an executive decision! Bokuto Koutarou, please ask the others to return immediately if possible!” His hands formed fists. “Regardless if they return to us or not, we must move quickly to stop the beast’s advance any further.”   
   
 “Agreed,” Kiyoko said.   
   
 “Well.” Kuroo put his hand on his hip. “Sarukui, what can you get us in terms of intel?”   
   
 “Ah.” Sarukui smirked. “To put it simply, there’s a big one, a medium one, and a small one. The big one is the worm – it’s going underground. The medium one is an aerial enemy, so that’ll be hard. The small one is a big-ass turtle. I’m not talking actual size, but magic readings.”   
   
 Yamaguchi looked at him. “You’re certain?”   
   
 “Of course he is!” Bokuto bounced on his feet. “Sarukui’s one of the best mages Valentia has!”   
   
 “Alright.” Kuroo took a breath. “The big one, the worm, will be tricky and require constant communication and tactics to keep it from swallowing us whole. I know we have limited resources… but I’m going to need my whole squad to take it down.”   
   
 Akaashi nodded, Bokuto pumped his fists, and Kenma bit his lip behind his mask.   
   
 “Very well.” Kiyoko crossed her arms. “Thirteen and I have always worked together, from what I was told… we should take out the aerial unit… however…”   
   
 “It’s fine.” Kyoutani was still rolling his shoulders, loosening the muscles. “I’ll go solo against the turtle. I’ll hold it off.”   
   
 “But.” Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “Alone…?”   
   
 “I have to.”   
   
 “He’s right,” Yamaguchi murmured. “But.” He smiled. “You won’t be alone, not forever anyway… As soon as one of our teams gets backup and takes it down, we’ll help you as soon as possible.”   
   
 Kyoutani nodded.   
   
 “Then.” Kuroo summoned his firearm. “Let’s move.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Gold Eagle coming down to almost ground level was enough to scare both sides of the army—they thought an airship was about to crash right on top of them. As Goshiki had predicted, their weapons did nothing against the worm—but Tsukishima ordered them to fire anyway. The small amount of pushback the missiles provided bought precious few seconds.   
   
 Kuroo and the others ran down the ramp of the airship and hopped off, not even checking to see if it closed behind them. “Let’s go!”   
   
 Akaashi summoned his spear and charged ahead. “This brings back memories.”   
   
 Bokuto smirked and summoned his blade. “Ah – the four of us! Fighting together! Good memories!”   
   
 Kenma was slightly off to the side, moving between them and Kuroo. “For you, maybe.”   
   
 “Hey!” Bokuto laughed. “You’ll get your memories back soon!”   
   
 “Doesn’t matter if I do…” Kenma swiped his hand and summoned Kiyoko’s bow and quiver. “I’m here now, so… gotta fight.”   
   
 The worm charged at them.   
   
 “Like we used to!” Kuroo shouted.   
   
 Bokuto spun in place, causing a waterfall of blue to surge forward against the beast.   
   
 As it crashed, the worm screamed – it had yet to feel pain, now it was more alarmed than hurt.   
   
 Akaashi leapt up and crashed down, causing Bokuto’s water to freeze around the worm, keeping it place.   
   
 Now that it wasn’t moving, Kuroo charged a shot with a smirk. He pulled the trigger and the worm exploded.   
   
 But the worm flung forward.   
   
 Kuroo’s eyes widened. That’s how it always went, though—Bokuto and Akaashi would take first strike, Kuroo would hit it hard from a range, and Kenma—   
   
 Kenma fired an arrow filled with the sonic blast wave of pure thunder.   
   
 The worm was tossed aside.   
   
 Kenma—would cover the holes in their plan.   
   
 The worm rolled over and dug underground.   
   
 “Alright.” Kuroo looked around. “This is just beginning! Now it’s mad!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The bat dove down, releasing more rings of pure force that burst the solid earth into dust and soil.   
   
 Kiyoko leapt from rock to rock, firing arrows that were hitting it with equal force.   
   
 It dove down to grab her.   
   
 From a distance away, Yamaguchi raised his weapon and swung down—a bolt of lightning crashed down on the back of the beast, causing it to release a terrible scream.   
   
 Kiyoko barely dodged in time. With her boots skidding along the slanted, ruined earth, she spun around and released another volley of arrows.   
   
 Yamaguchi moved with incredible speed, becoming lightning itself, as he leapt up and stabbed the beast in the wing.   
   
 The beast screamed and pulled back before thrusting both wings forward, releasing a gust of wind, and it coupled its attack with another sonic boom.   
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes widened.   
   
 Kiyoko yelled as she watched Yamaguchi go flying. Her first instinct was to cast a spell to ease his descent, but she knew it would be upon her next. She readied herself and bit her lip.   
   
 The two of them had always fought like this, Thunder and Lightning, for the Queen – or so Kiyoko presumed. So much of her memory was foggy, even now, but the thought of this beast tearing apart the soldiers of her homeland…   
   
 The bat released another sonar blast.   
   
 Kiyoko dodged the projectile, but the shockwave threw her back and she skidded along the earth.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Fuck!” Kyoutani was slammed with such force that his whole body was shaking from a single strike.   
   
 The tortoise lifted its head, standing on its hind legs, and raised its arms, readying for another strike.   
   
 Kyoutani’s knees gave out. Sword and shield in his hand, he grit his teeth and forced himself back up.   
   
 The beast swung hard downwards.   
   
 Kyoutani sidestepped the attack, and sidestepped another. He called upon the power of the earth as he swung from a distance, sending several massive rocks flying at the beast.   
   
 The tortoise waved them away and let out a deep, slow roar.   
   
 Kyoutani was hit again and he rolled along the ground. “Fuck…”  _I’m not gonna last long but,_  he forced himself up,  _I’ve gotta last!_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “… Waterways…”   
   
 They all turned.   
   
 Semi seemed a thousand miles away, looking at the ground. “I have the vague memory… of underground waterways.”   
   
 “Of course!” Shirabu’s eyes burned bright. “That’s where we have to go, anyway! But… they don’t extend this far out…”   
   
 “They do!” Tendou turned to him. “Alisa had a secret passage from the research facility! Maybe the new Emperor or the army don’t know about it! We could—”   
   
 Aone stomped hard, and sand picked up all around them.   
   
 Ushijima gripped his axe. “Ma’am.”   
   
 Saeko turned to him. “Yeah?”   
   
 “Organise the civilians and get them underground.” Ushijima scowled. “I still don’t know what we should do… but this town is about to become a warzone.”   
   
 “The citizens.” Shirabu’s eyes softened. He shut them tight. “The Emperor would sacrifice his own citizens if it meant winning this war, is that it?” His grip on his weapon tightened. “We cannot allow the citizens to get caught in the crossfire, I agree, but listen to me, Commander! I must get to the capital, or the Queen’s plan will fail.”   
   
 Ushijima readied his axe. “Then… we should split up. You do not need much force to get to the capital – only speed, yes?”   
   
 “I know the way,” Tendou pointed out, “I can take him.”   
   
 Shirabu glanced over. “And Eita.”   
   
 Semi blinked once, twice. “Me?”   
   
 Shirabu nodded. “You’re coming with us.”   
   
 Sugawara looked at the gate and said nothing.   
   
 “Then it’s settled,” Ushijima said loudly and firmly, “Seven, Eight, Nine – you three are to go to the capital. The rest of us will defend this city with our lives. Sugawara… inform the rest of them that we cannot provide backup at this time!”   
   
 Shirabu breathed a heavy sigh of relief.   
   
 “Oi,” came Sugawara’s voice. “We’ll hold the line here… but…”   
   
 “They’ll tear through us eventually,” Kageyama pointed out, “And then they’ll go after you.”   
   
 “We’ll hold them back!” Hinata nodded. “As long as we can! We will! We’ll buy you enough time.”   
   
 “Neh.” Saeko smirked. “Me too.”   
   
 Tendou met her eyes and he felt his chest swell.   
   
 Ushijima glanced at them. “You have your mission.”   
   
 “Let’s go!” Shirabu raised his voice, “All of Rodzina rests on our shoulders!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Through the waterways, the three of them were running. The semi-circular underground walkway was flanked by two streams of water heading and coming from every direction. Every intersection they took split off in a number of paths, and water came and went from each and every path.   
   
 Semi looked around. “This is… familiar.”   
   
 Shirabu grit his teeth. “Of course it is!”   
   
 “You.” Semi’s eyes narrowed as he kept running. “You know who I am, don’t you, Eight?”   
   
 “Of course I fucking do, Eita.” Shirabu bit his lip. “I just—”   
   
 “He knows you rather intimately,” Tendou added, with a wink.   
   
 “Then.” Semi’s eyes narrowed. “Eight – why didn’t you say anything? For three years?”   
   
 “There’s.” Shirabu began breathing hard. He was more of a mage-unit, and did not have the same stamina as the rest of them. “There’s a lot of reasons… but when you forgot me… I felt like I didn’t even know you.”   
   
 “What does that mean?”   
   
 “Well.” Shirabu pushed himself to keep up with them. Tendou was lagging behind, to cover the rear, so Shirabu was trying to keep up with Semi’s pace despite himself. “You—you spent all of your time with your  _brother_  for one.”   
   
 “And? Is that not something I did before?”   
   
 “You didn’t  _have_  a brother, as far as I knew!”   
   
 “Am I to assume you would have been informed of my family?”   
   
 “Eita!” Shirabu shot him a glare. “We’ve known each other for almost twenty years! You never mentioned a brother once!”   
   
 “Spicy,” came Tendou’s voice, “Quite the lover’s spat.”   
   
 Both of them turned towards him and yelled, “Shut up!”   
   
 “Neh!” Tendou laughed. “Well I thought I should interrupt you before you got any further. There’s a path to the palace just ahead, but there’s a few magical blocks on it. It could take a lot of time to take them off—”   
   
 “Leave it to me.” Shirabu slowed down in front of the invisible wall and reached out. He closed his eyes and his hand began to glow purple. “Open.”   
   
 The wall shattered.   
   
 Tendou just yelled,  _“Wha—!?”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Iwaizumi hated the silence of the palace. He had heard nothing of Oikawa in all this time, and now he was starting to get worried. When Oikawa wasn’t in his bedroom, Iwaizumi’s heart began to race. There was, of course, one place Oikawa would go if not his own room, and that was the reading room.   
   
 He opened the door.   
   
 “My Lord—” Iwaizumi cut himself off.   
   
 Oikawa was slumped against a chair and jolted upright. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeves, drying his eyes.   
   
 Iwaizumi felt his chest tighten. He straightened his back.   
   
 “It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” Oikawa faked a laugh. “Look at me, Iwa… I’m just a crying, snotty prince… royal blood and all… this is the best I can rise up to be…”   
   
 Iwaizumi stepped in, letting the door close behind him. Slowly, he crossed the distance between them. His eyes softened. “Your Highness.”   
   
 “My country is going to war…” Oikawa threw his head back against the backrest of the chair. “I know the cause is wrong… and I can do nothing about it… If Mother was still alive, if my sister was…”   
   
 Iwaizumi felt his chest crunch like cracked glass.   
   
 “They would have done something… they would be fighting my father…” He leaned forward again, and his head dropped as if his neck was too weak to hold it. “They would be strong… As we speak, our soldiers, our airships… every second I sit here… another soldier of Valentia dies… of Woede… of Nuru… Nuru.” Oikawa laughed and his shoulders raised slightly. “Nuru, I’m grieving for  _Nuru?_  What have I come to…? I am so ashamed…”   
   
 “Your Highness.” Iwaizumi dropped down to one knee in front of him. He looked up into those crying eyes and he felt his heart burn. “It is because of that – that is  _exactly_  why you are so much  _more_  than your father.”   
   
 Oikawa looked at him, eyes pleading for something.   
   
 Iwaizumi leaned up, cupping that face. He knew he shouldn’t—by every oath and order he had taken from Rodzina, he knew he shouldn’t—but—he had to.   
   
 He pressed their lips together.   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.   
   
 Iwaizumi pulled him closer.   
   
 Oikawa shut his eyes.   
   
 Iwaizumi pulled away. His cheeks darkened with his shame, but he couldn’t deny the kiss had tasted sweet on his lips. “Your Highness.”   
   
 “Iwaizumi…?”   
   
 “I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have… but it’s because you can grieve for your enemies, even now… for all your painful and annoying antics… you have a good heart.”   
   
 “But…”   
   
 “Forgive me, Your Highness.”   
   
 Oikawa cupped his face. “I don’t have anything to forgive, Iwa.”   
   
 Iwaizumi snorted at that and he opened his eyes. He took a deep breath. “That’s… Sorry, Tooru, that’s not why I came here.”   
   
 Oikawa blinked, growing even more confused.   
   
 “We’re moving you to a safer location,” Iwaizumi explained, “I need you to go to the Waterways, to the central chamber.”   
   
 “The Waterways…? But why?”   
   
 “Oikawa Tooru von Rodzina,” Iwaizumi said as he took his hand. “I have served as your royal guard since we were children, and I have never asked anything of you. I can’t explain everything right now, but can you please do this one thing without asking?”   
   
 “Iwa, you ask me a lot of things. You ask me to shut up and stop being annoying every day.”   
   
 “Yes, but, you’ve never actually granted my wish; have you?”   
   
 “Nope.” Oikawa couldn’t help but smile. “And you still wanted to kiss me.”   
   
 “I—” Iwaizumi’s cheeks darkened and he felt his shoulders lock. “Listen. Would you just—”   
   
 “I’ll go to the Waterways,” Oikawa promised. “I trust you.”   
   
 “Thank you, Your Highness.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The three beasts continued their assault on the armies of Valentia, Woede, and Nuru. The airships attempted to provide gunfire and missile support, but to no avail.   
   
 Bokuto, Kuroo, Akaashi, and Kenma were dealing damage but the worm was not slowing down no matter how many gashes and wounds they left on it.   
   
 Kiyoko and Yamaguchi had a bit more luck, having grievously wounded one of the bat’s wings, but they were taking many hits as well, and would not last long.   
   
 Kyoutani—   
   
 The tortoise roared, throwing a massive rock in his direction.   
   
 Kyoutani summoned a stone from the earth beneath him and ducked under his shield as the two rocks hit each other. He coughed out blood and fell to his knees.  _This is it…_  He smirked.  _This is as far as I go, I guess…_    
   
 From the sky—a beam shot down and burst on impact. The blastwave surged green winds outwards.   
   
 Kyoutani winced, looking away from the light. “Wh-What?”   
   
 A robe fluttered next to him.   
   
 Kyoutani looked up, eyes widening. “Ch… Chancellor?”   
   
 Having just slipped off his green serpent dragon, Shinsuke Kita stepped forward. “You bring pride to the High Thane to have stopped its advance all on your own… allow me to help you.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kenma merely asked, “Do you not stand for Rodzina?”   
   
 “It is  _because_  I stand for Rodzina,” Alisa said as she stood on a rock between two streams of crashing waves, “That I have to do this.”   
   
 The worm screamed and lunged at her.   
   
 Alisa wove several patterns of magic and streams of water forged from the moisture in the air, striking at the worm and sending it flying back.   
   
 “Hell yeah!” Bokuto cheered. “Take that!”   
   
 “Mm.” Akaashi glanced at Kuroo then to Alisa. “Thank you for your support.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kiyoko and Yamaguchi stared, in awe.   
   
 The constellations of the sky seemed come down in white cords and struck at the beast’s heart.   
   
 Kiyoko looked over her shoulder. “You…”   
   
 Terushima gave a cocky smile, and an unnecessary wink. “At your service, pretty lady.”   
   
 “Don’t.”   
   
 “O-Oh.” Terushima stepped back. “Okay.”   
   
 Yamaguchi hid his giggle behind his hand before he said, “Thank you.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Oikawa did as he was told. He felt silly, all dressed up in his battle gear, without an enemy to fight. He wore a light blue vest that extended behind him like a cloak. He had white cloth falling from either side of his neck, and again on his shoulder. His shoulderpads held globes of water hovering in space. He stepped into the central chamber of the Waterways. Here, yellow stone formed walkways upon a large pool of water. Several pristine blue waterfalls created curtains in several places. This was one of the most holy places in Rodzina, Oikawa knew, and it was here where Chancellor Alisa and Coachy Irihata had taught him magic as a child.   
   
 His eyes softened.   
   
 “I really am…” He looked down. “A worthless prince.”   
   
 Footsteps.   
   
 Oikawa’s head snapped up.   
   
 Three figures were running into the room from the other side, and slowed down when they were within earshot of him.   
   
 Oikawa examined their black cloaks, and he waved a spell that dismissed the covering—revealing their true patterns. “The—” His eyes widened. “The Fires of Valentia!” He stepped back. “Iwaizumi… betrayed me…?”   
   
 The cloaked figure, who Oikawa presumed was leading this group, stepped forward. “Tooru!”   
   
 Oikawa tensed.   
   
 The cloaked figure who was hanging back threw up his arms in surprise. “The First Prince of Rodzina!?”   
   
 The third one merely murmured, “The son of the Emperor.” He summoned two daggers, one in each hand.   
   
 The leader raised his arm, holding the armed one back.   
   
 Oikawa felt his chest grow tight. “Who are you?”   
   
 “I’ll answer your question,” the leader said as he stepped forward, “If you answer mine.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sitting on her throne, Yachi let out a heavy sigh of relief, causing her entire body to sink into her seat. She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. “The Chancellor of Water, Alisa, has switched sides.”   
   
 The image broad-casting Yahaba nodded along. “It’s a good thing she did… even as a Chancellor, it was unlikely Kita would have been enough.”   
   
 “And we must also thank you,” Yachi continued, “Lord Tenno.” She glanced to the image to her left. “Your Chancellor is still wounded, but you still sent him out.”   
   
 Sitting on his own seat of power, Azumane Asahi was dressed in a white and grey kimono. He had both his hands in his lap and he nodded sagely. “Our nation is still, divided, when it comes to how we feel about this war… but we cannot allow Sakusa to grow in power. Nuru has always been, hated, by many of the other four nations…… but. Now. We have a Chancellor, we are an equal, and with that power comes responsibility.”   
   
 “Thank you,” Yachi repeated. “That might be enough…” Her eyes faced forward, to all the images displaying different parts of the battlefield. “That might buy us enough time…”   
   
 Yahaba glanced at her. “For what?”   
   
 Yachi tensed.   
   
 Yahaba took a deep breath. “Rodzina will not fall to our armies combined.”   
   
 “I may have…” Yachi bit her lip. “I may have taken a gamble.” She clutched her red paper fan hairclip in her hands. “But… it’s the only shot we have.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shirabu stood in the central chamber, the waterfalls falling all around them. He was glad for the hood hiding his face. Despite the sounds of rushing water, the acoustics of this room would allow even a whisper to be heard by everyone else in the room. He stared at Oikawa, arm still raised to hold Semi back. “Do you support your father?”   
   
 Oikawa tensed at the question. “I…”   
   
 Shirabu waited for more, but it seemed that was all the First Prince could say. “Tooru—”   
   
 “You will  _not_  refer to me by that name!” Oikawa stepped forward. “You Valentian mongrels! We do not know each other!”   
   
 Shirabu bit a,  _“Your Highness,_  that caused Oikawa to bristle. “Is that what you prefer?”   
   
 Oikawa glared.   
   
 Shirabu took a deep breath and lowered his arm. “I understand… I imagine you feel lost right now… Rodzina is not what it was only a couple years ago.”   
   
 “What do you know!?” Oikawa stepped forward. “You Valentian—”   
   
 “I am from Rodzina!” Shirabu yelled back, “As are the two behind me! Calling this place home is our birthright!”   
   
 Oikawa took a step back.   
   
 Tendou said nothing, as did Semi.   
   
 “You know your father isn’t in the right,” Shirabu said plainly, “Don’t you?”   
   
 “Of course I do!” Oikawa stomped two steps forward. “He’s hungry for power! He’s always been—but since Mother’s death, he…” Oikawa sucked in a breath. “Ever since my sister disappeared… He sees all of this as an opportunity. Sakusa’s on a rampage, and Father wants to come along for the ride! They’re using monsters… and the way they attacked the Great Tree…”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes softened.   
   
 “I…” Oikawa breathed hard, and from the shaking in his voice it was easy to tell he had tears in his eyes. “And Irihata… they’ve both been colluding with Sakusa… This country has been torn to shreds, and I’m powerless.” His hands formed fists. “I can’t find a way out, no matter what I think of! I need help!” He looked up. “That’s why you’re here, aren’t you? To help me? Help me!”   
   
 One of the waterfalls split.   
   
 And Oikawa gasped.   
   
 Irihata Nobuteru was the general of Rodzina’s army, often nicknamed ‘coachy’ since he’d worked with many elite soldiers from when they had just been kids. He stood, hands resting on the hilt of his sword, which was pointing down against the stone between his feet. “Well, well.” He offered a smirk. “Look who is colluding with the enemy now, Your Highness… wouldn’t you say this is, treason?”   
   
 Four royal guards behind him pulled out their weapons.   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “No!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Ngh!” Kageyama was thrown back. The beast that had been dispatched against them had been taken down quickly by Hinata and Aone, but the army that was now charging at them seemed endless. He summoned more cords and kept taking enemy after enemy down. “We’re not going to last!”   
   
 Hinata spun, swirling with his scythe overhead. Every time he killed, he took the Death and seemed re-energised. Still, he could tell his teammates were starting to wear down.   
   
 Ushijima and Saeko couldn’t keep up, having hit their human limits.   
   
 Aone swirled his sand to keep the enemy at bay, but even he was breathing hard.   
   
 Sugawara still struck hard, but he was no longer moving like the wind.   
   
 Hinata bit his lip. “Come on… there’s no end to these guys!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shirabu watched the situation carefully.   
   
 “You.” Oikawa’s eyes fell on the royal guards around Irihata. “You’re willing to kill me…”   
   
 Irihata smirked. “I am not willing to back down at this point… I can tell very clearly that you have not worked with the Fires yet…” His eyes drifted towards Shirabu but snapped back to Oikawa. “But it won’t make much of a difference when I am done with you. I will say you had already begun the collusion, and then no one will think it any better.”   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened. “Coachy!”   
   
 “Did you think you were special to me, Tooru?” Irihata sighed. “I trained every soldier from when they were a child… The whole… sentimental value piece wears out after a while. The truth is you’re a thorn in the Emperor’s side, and we’ve long looked for a way, or a reason, to… dispose of you.”   
   
 Oikawa stepped back. “This…” He looked at Shirabu and yelled, “You did this to me!”   
   
 “Not intentionally,” Shirabu murmured, “But is this not for the better?”   
   
 Oikawa froze.   
   
 Under his hood, Shirabu met Oikawa’s gaze. “You know of his crimes… and now you have proof that they’re even willing to kill royal blood if it means pushing the Emperor’s plans forward. Do you still have the doubts inside you, or are they cleared?”   
   
 “I…” Oikawa’s hands formed fists. “I…” He took a deep breath. “I am weak.” He bit his lip and lowered his head. “I have lost my army, and my kingdom… and while I was grieving my loses, the Emperor was stealing power… and using me to propel his war propaganda… I let myself fall for it, because I wanted someone to blame! The Queen… The Queen of Valentia… she did nothing. The Empress wasn’t killed by her.”   
   
 Irihata raised his eyebrow. “How do you know that?”   
   
 “The Queen, she—” Oikawa looked up. “She was at my mother’s deathbed, at her side, with me. She cried tears… sincere tears… and the look on her face when Father accused her—”   
   
 “What she said and how she cried don’t matter much,” Irihata cut in. “But you can’t deny that around the time the Queen was here, our princess went missing. Most likely dead, somewhere.”   
   
 Oikawa tensed. “I…” His eyes narrowed. “It’s too much of a coincidence I know, but…”   
   
 “Tooru.”   
   
 Oikawa looked up.   
   
 Shirabu moved his hand up, and pushed his hood back.   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes widened.   
   
 The armour of the royal guards clattered as they took a step back.   
   
 Even Irihata made a startled noise. “Y-Your…” He swallowed hard. “Your Highness!”   
   
 Oikawa opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find words.   
   
 “Of all the Fires of Valentia, I was the only one who had no memory issues.” Shirabu glanced to Irihata. “The decision behind it came from the complications it would bring, as I was of royal blood and labelled missing. I worked with Valentia, willingly, and became subject Eight of Daishou’s experiments.” He looked at Oikawa and knew the unspoken question: Why? “Because it was Mother’s last wish for me to do so.”   
   
 Oikawa blinked. “Wh-What?”   
   
 “Coachy,” Shirabu said with a warning tone, “You and Father poisoned the Empress together, for power.”   
   
 “Princess—”   
   
 “Prince.”   
   
 “Eh.” Irihata made a gruff noise. “What does it matter? You’re a spoiled brat like your brother – attached to the sentiments of a dead Empress. You wouldn’t understand our cause!”   
   
 Oikawa whispered, “Coachy…”   
   
 Tendou blinked a few times.   
   
 Even Semi grit his teeth.   
   
 “Sakusa promised us power! An army! He showed us his collection of beasts! We could keep the whole world at bay with them!” Irihata stepped closer, shaking his arms. “You Fires may be experiments, but Sakusa’s are stronger!”   
   
 “But.” Shirabu eyed him. “We are human.”   
   
 “It doesn’t matter!” Irihata lost his cool as he pulled his blade up. “You have fallen for my trap! You fell for my ploy!”   
   
 “And you,” Shirabu returned, “Fell for mine.”   
   
 All around them, the waterfalls split, revealing soldiers of Rodzina.   
   
 “Eight.”   
   
 Irihata gasped.   
   
 “It’s the symbol of infinity, one of the few numbers that have no end and no beginning.” Shirabu moved some hair out of his eyes. “Eight, is the number of determination. It is the number of being never ending.”   
   
 Oikawa looked all around him.   
   
 “Soldiers, it’s not every day you see the true heart of a royal, so take it in.” Shirabu closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again. “As royals, we put on a face, a mask. We stride. We move forward—always. We don’t have the time, or the choice, to stop. People depend on us, and we have to keep moving forward, even when our own hearts are breaking.”   
   
 Oikawa looked at him. “Sist… Brother.”   
   
 “Kenjirou,” Shirabu said simply, “Is my new name.”   
   
 “Kenjirou…” Oikawa’s eyes softened and they fell upon the yellow stone walkway.   
   
 “Oikawa,” came another voice.   
   
 Oikawa turned. “Iwa?”   
   
 Iwaizumi had a soft look in his eyes.   
   
 “You knew?” Oikawa stared at him. “You knew about all of it?”   
   
 “The Empress left behind my mission,” Iwaizumi gripped his blade. “I have followed it to her every order… improvising a bit here and there, but yes… I knew it. I had. I had a hard time believing it, but we heard everything. This confirmed it for me… and now the rest of the royal guard knows what I know.”   
   
 “Iwa…”   
   
 “Tooru. We’re taking Rodzina back.”   
   
 Oikawa’s chest swelled and he looked up at Irihata. “We’re taking Rodzina back.”   
   
 Irihata paled as he looked at all the soldiers in the room.   
   
 “We’re taking Rodzina back,” Shirabu repeated, catching Oikawa’s attention. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’m sorry I left you here all alone… but I had to do this. You won’t be alone anymore.” He moved to stand at Oikawa’s side. “I’m here.”   
   
 Iwaizumi did the same, smirking at the cowering Irihata.   
   
 “Well then…” He looked between Iwaizumi and Shirabu. “I guess it’s time—” Oikawa swept his hair back. “It’s time  _I_ became Emperor.” 


	9. Loyalty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tree (a person, not just the word tree) is savage af, dry, and yet compassionate in her own way. She's getting this shoutout this chapter, because it's the Semi chapter, and I think she embodies a lot of what I love of Semi: Kindness in his own way, yet dry and to the point. A kind of "almost asshole, but not" LOL. I adore her, and I'm happy she came into my life. 
> 
> Anyway~ 
> 
> Here it is, Chapter 9! The tail-end of the Rodzina arc! It's a bit shorter than usual, but I love the chapter. It feels "right" in its own way, so I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> * * *

 In the depths of the Waterways, Oikawa’s magic was at its strongest. His magic flowed like rivers and gathered like pools. Hopelessly outnumbered, Irihata’s soldiers fell. Shirabu’s whip blade surged with strength as it grappled his leg and yanked, grinding his back against the yellow stone floor. Oikawa saw his opening and spun, crashing a spell against Irihata’s chest and causing him to yell.   
   
 Irihata glared.   
   
 “Yield!” Oikawa yelled, “Yield, Commander!”   
   
 Irihata gathered his saliva before spitting on Oikawa’s face.   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes brimmed with tears and his grip on Irihata’s collar tightened. “Why…?”   
   
 “To secure a future…” Irihata glared. “You’ll understand one day… Only the strong survive, and Sakusa’s demons would have kept us strong!”   
   
 Oikawa gathered a spell in his other hand, ready to move in for the kill, but he crushed the sigil and the power fell around him. He forced himself to his feet.   
   
 Iwaizumi ran over. “Your Highness—”   
   
 “Get your soldiers to lock them up, Iwa,” Oikawa said softly. “We need to move quickly.”   
   
 Tendou dismissed his short swords and glanced to Oikawa. “We’re gonna take back the fight?”   
   
 Shirabu held his whip blade, radiating with a newfound power. “We’re going to take back Rodzina, and the fight.”   
   
 Semi nodded slowly. “We need to move quickly, then… The Emperor probably has direct communications to the palace… he’ll notice something’s off when this guy doesn’t reply.”   
   
 Oikawa nodded. “Then, let’s move.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Emperor of Rodzina sat on his throne aboard the greatest of Rodzina’s airships, the Emperial Ship. It was the largest airship to have ever been created. It was baby blue and spherical in shape, with white metal winding around it, creating two wings on either side that were lined with jets to move it forward. The interior was modelled with silver and spacious walkways. His seat of power was at the centre of the command room and he was scratching his chin aggressively.   
   
 “Your Maj—”   
   
 “My own Chancellor!” He slammed his fist against his armrest. “To think my own Chancellor is on the battlefield, working against me… this is madness! Three beasts should have been enough!”   
   
 “Hm.” Sakusa focused on looking forward as he walked towards the glass. He stood a few feet to the side of the throne and his eyes narrowed. “Even if Alisa hadn’t… Daishou…” He crossed his arms. He murmured, more to himself than to anyone, “Daishou has yet to make an appearance in this war…”   
   
 The Emperor cursed and then composed himself. “It matters not! Our army is still advancing, and advancing well. They may be three nations, but they are nothing compared to ours! Isn’t that right, Sakusa?”   
   
 “I have promised the Rahni success in this war,” Sakusa returned, “And I will not fail her. It will be done.”   
   
 “Yes, yes it will.” He scratched his chin again. “We need to keep pushing forward, even if the beasts are being taken down. Where shall we strike next?”   
   
 Sakusa surveyed the battle below and frowned.   
   
 The Emperor examined him for a long moment. “You are unhappy with something, Lord Chancellor?”   
   
 “The Fires of Valentia…” Sakusa clicked his tongue. “Daishou’s pets should be moving against us… I have seen roughly half of them, but not all. Especially not that wretched Fourteen, whom Daishou has made his avatar of war… It is not like the Queen of Fire to hold back when—”   
   
 “I have taken care of them.”   
   
 Sakusa’s eyes snapped to the side.   
   
 The Emperor felt a chill run down his side. “They attempted to land on one of our coastal towns. I have dispatched a couple of your bigger beasts and sent my army to keep them at bay.”   
   
 “And the Waterways—”   
   
 “They don’t extend that far.”   
   
 Sakusa turned towards him. “I see.” He stepped forward. “And who gave you permission to move Chhal’s forces, Your Majesty?”   
   
 “I… well, I—”   
   
 “You—nothing,” Sakusa finished. “I will return. Call for me if you need me.”   
   
 “Lord Chancellor!”   
   
 Sakusa crumpled into sand, dissolving and dispersing.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata spun and slashed another soldier. He glanced back to see how the rest of his team was doing.   
   
 Kageyama was hands and knees on the floor, breathing hard. Rodzina’s army was not as confident or as direct now that so many bodies littered the streets. He took a deep breath and forced himself back up.   
   
 Sugawara and Aone too were limping, but from exhaustion and not wounds.   
   
 Ushijima and Saeko had each gotten a chance to rest and were doing better.   
   
 Hinata opened his mouth to speak, but—   
   
   
 Formed from earth and sand, Sakusa Kiyoomi’s body was forged with a shake of dust. He looked around and glanced to the corpse of the beast forged from the crystal of the world. “Impressive,” he told them simply. The rest of Rodzina backed away at the sight of him, and the Fires of Valentia were also getting some distance. He looked at each of them before his eyes rested on Kageyama. “You are the one labelled as One, yes?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 “Then.” Sakusa stepped forward. “Tell me—bluntly—why do you trust Lord Daishou, after all that he has done to you?”   
   
 Hinata bit his lip.   
   
 Kageyama glared. “I… I can’t say for certain,” he admitted, “But I know he is fighting for Valentia, my country, and I will stand with him for as long as I feel he is fighting for Valentia.”   
   
 “Valentia, perhaps,” Sakusa murmured, “But I know for a fact Sugawara and Kyoutani are from Woede, while Aone is from Chhal… it is easy to assume there are some from Rodzina as well. Why do they fight?”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed. “I can’t speak for them.”   
   
 Aone said nothing.   
   
 Sugawara seemed content on hanging back.   
   
 “And you?”   
   
 Hinata tensed as Sakusa’s eyes fell on him.   
   
 “You have no home, no memory, no future… no past.” Sakusa raised his chin. “You have no life.”   
   
 Hinata made a small noise.   
   
 “Like a dog, you fight because you are told. You take orders, you do what you must, and you never question it. You never question the higher designs, and you never will, because like a mongrel you have been taught to never question it.” Sakusa’s glare intensified. “You are a no one. The rest of these soldiers on your squad… it is true that they should not be the way they are, that they have been… modified… However, they still deserve to exist. Not you. They breathe, they are here, they are created by this world, and by that they have earned their right to fight for their lives. But you!”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 “You should not exist,” Sakusa said, “You should have never existed. You are not natural… Your existence is a disgusting betrayal to this planet. A monster. A beast.”   
   
 Kageyama yelled, “Enough!”   
   
 “He is abhorrent!”   
   
 “You’re,” Hinata whispered as he looked down, “You’re so mean…” He forced himself to breathe. “Why not me…? Why can’t I deserve to exist too…?”   
   
 “You are an aberration! A mistake! A fault!” Energy crackled around Sakusa. “It is my duty as Chancellor to right the wrongs of this world!” He dove forward.   
   
 Hinata only caught a glimpse of Sakusa’s weapon as he spun, deflecting it, and his eyes widened.   
   
 Sakusa moved to strike again, but wind and sand swirled around him. His eyes narrowed as cords of null tried to entrap him. He roared and pushed the magic of the three other Fires away.   
   
 Hinata moved and tightened his grip on his scythe. As he looked for Sakusa’s weapon, he saw it had already been dismissed. He could’ve sworn it was—   
   
 “The Queen has done something here,” Sakusa murmured. “She has sent the four of you here, for what? A gamble, I take it, but what did she gamble…? Tell me.”   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened.   
   
 Sakusa glared at him. “What is that look for?”   
   
 “Death.” Hinata almost dropped his scythe. He had seen and met each Chancellor, but compared to them—“Death…”   
   
 Sakusa glared.   
   
 “You’re… A part of you, is already dead.”   
   
 Sakusa’s eyes widened. “N-No!”   
   
 “You.” Hinata backed away. “You didn’t know…?”   
   
 Sakusa looked at his hands. “A part of me is… already—”   
   
 A ping from far away made them all bristle.   
   
 Sakusa’s attention snapped to the side, up to the sky. “What is that Fool Emperor calling me now for!?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Gold Eagle was mainly made of wood, reinforced by a metal frame to stabilise it, but even that was threatening to fall apart. The entire ship was threatening to fall apart. Not from an enemy, no—this was from the ones aboard. Its entire frame rocked heavily.   
   
 Goshiki was knocked back and he yelled, “We’re all going to die!”   
   
 “It doesn’t matter,” Tsukishima’s voice cut in, “My ship may not hold—but do not hold back! Regardless of the costs… you must perform the spell. It is the only thing that can help us put the pressure on Rodzina and Chhal.”   
   
 Goshiki forced himself up. “Yes!” He brushed himself off and composed himself. “Our lives are already at stake, this war is at stake… Her Majesty asked us to push back the main army. It is up to you all! Give it your all!”   
   
 Akaashi made an amused noise. “It is almost as though you finally trust us, Sky Captain.”   
   
 “Ah, I-I-I!”   
   
 “For the Queen,” Kiyoko said as she stepped into the glowing arcane circle on the deck, “I shall give my all.”   
   
 “Tch.” Kyoutani stepped forward as well. “Yahaba would be pissed… if I didn’t get this right.”   
   
 There were seven circles arranged in a perfect distance from each other.   
   
 “Bokuto,” Sarukui said with a big grin, “Show us your stripes okay?”   
   
 Bokuto gave a big fist pump into the air as he stepped in.   
   
 “Keiji,” came another voice.   
   
 Akaashi glanced sidelong.   
   
 Akinori eyed him carefully. “Do your best.”   
   
 “I shall.” Akaashi stepped forward. “Thank you.”   
   
 “Kuroo.” Yaku glared. “Don’t fuck this up.”   
   
 Kuroo smirked as he began walking. “Thanks for the encouragement.”   
   
 “Kenma!” Lev bounced up and down. “You’ll do great, okay? Don’t be scared!”   
   
 “Mm.” Kenma hummed. “It’s only a spell.”   
   
 With six out of seven spots taken, Yamaguchi eyed his place and took a small breath. “Failure for an incorrect summoning is death.”   
   
 Tsukishima glanced at him.   
   
 “I have memories, loose ones… of me being afraid… to even try.” Yamaguchi smiled. “But I’m not afraid anymore, Tsukki.”   
   
 Tsukishima’s whole body rocked at the nickname and he glanced away. “You’re strong, Tadashi… You’ve… always been stronger, than you gave yourself credit for.”   
   
 Yamaguchi looked at him.   
   
 Tsukishima nodded.   
   
 Yamaguchi smiled and stepped into the arcane circle.   
   
 With the seven of them ready, lights beamed up from each of them, and the spell began to swirl the clouds above.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Oikawa led the charge. He was running. As a child, he had run through these halls so many times, usually with laughter, sometimes running from an angry adult, but now – never like now. Now, Oikawa was running with the weight of Rodzina on his shoulders.   
   
 They ran to the airship docks.   
   
 “But Your Highness—” came one of the aircraft attendants.   
   
 “I need it!” Oikawa ordered, “I need my airship!”   
   
 The attendant quickly ran over to the control panel, extending the bridge that led to the airship in question.   
   
 Oikawa ran across the bridge, knowing his brother and allies were just behind him. He got to the main control room, and saw several soldiers and attendants clicking buttons. They were getting the airship online for him. “I—”   
   
 “They know,” Shirabu assured. “They know what we’re going to do.”   
   
 Oikawa glanced at him.   
   
 Iwaizumi nodded. “Your Father had this coming to him for a long time.”   
   
 Oikawa looked at the pilots, and the engineers, and the soldiers. He looked at each of them, as individuals, and they all gave him a nod. He took his seat on the commander’s chair and took a breath. “Are we going to make it in time?”   
   
 Semi murmured, “We have to.”   
   
 Tendou smirked. “You wanna say it?”   
   
 Even Shirabu snorted.   
   
 Oikawa blinked, and Iwaizumi shrugged.   
   
 Semi bit back his smile as he said,  _“Let’s fly!”_    
   
 The airship roared to life and soon blasted out of the docking bay. As they soared through the sky, they saw a light shining in the sky.   
   
 Iwaizumi squinted. “Is that… a summon?”   
   
 “Good.” Oikawa took a deep breath. “Father doesn’t know we’re working against him yet… I don’t know what Valentia is doing, but having my airship assist his at this time… they’ll let us pass without thinking about it.”   
   
 “Right.” Iwaizumi nodded deeply. “The Emperor has grown increasingly suspicious… let’s just hope this is enough.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The army of Rodzina was pulling away from the coastal town, and Saeko took the moment to breathe. She looked up in the sky, however. It was thousands of kilometers away, but she could see it like a shooting star. “What is that? A summon?”   
   
 Sugawara nodded. “Yes… that is…”   
   
 “Shiratorizawa,” Ushijima murmured. “The Eagle of Light. It’s quite powerful… I assume they would have used all seven Fires to bring it here.”   
   
 Kageyama glared. “Wish we could help…”   
   
 “Well.” Hinata looked at him. “We can.”   
   
 Aone shook his head.   
   
 Sugawara sighed. “A summoning requires multiple people working together; but, for so many magics to work as one, the summoning sigil has to have a space for each person. They most likely only created enough spaces for the ones on that side… We won’t be able to help.”   
   
 “But.” Kageyama looked at him. “You did it before… didn’t you? On our first battle?”   
   
 “Yeah… Death.” Hinata looked at his hands. “You guys might not be able to use it like I do… but the power of the crystals is inside all of us. If you guys channel that into me, I can add it to their summon! They’ll probably need all the help they can get!”   
   
 Kageyama looked at Sugawara, then Aone. The three of them nodded and stood. They created three arcane circles and took their places. Hinata stood in between all of them. And soon—   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened.   
   
 He could feel their energy flowing into him.   
   
 Hinata closed his eyes and summoned Death. It was red and black wisps that gathered around him. He raised his hand and a column of light shot into the sky.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “A Primus!” The Emperor yelled, “They summoned Shiratorizawa in its Primus form! Where is Sakusa!?” He looked around, panic rising, “Fire upon it! All canons!”   
   
 “Sir!” One of the soldiers saluted him. “His Royal Highness has departed the palace. He is on his way here, to assist!”   
   
 “My son!” The Emperor beamed with pride. “Of course! With our two airships we can take it down with minimal casualties! That boy always had a tactical mind… Inform the other airships, let him pass on the most efficient route! Break formation if you must!”   
   
 “Understood, Sir!”   
   
 The Emperor looked out the window. “Together we will have a chance!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shiratorizawa was like the sun—a beacon amidst storm clouds. Its very feathers were made of shimmering light, and its caw was like a song. It easily dodged several missile blasts from smaller airships, but its eyes were on the biggest airship of them all. When it fired—Shiratorizawa dove down, dodging.   
   
 It couldn’t get to the big one just yet, so it spun wildly towards one of the smaller airships. It opened its wings, wide, moving them back, before letting out a melodic battle cry—it surged its wings forward, and shattered the airship in one strike.   
   
 It broke to pieces, raining fire on the battlefield below.   
   
 Several spells tried to strike at it – but Shiratorizawa dodged and moved to its next target.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Oikawa could see the Eagle of Light from where he was and he was, for a moment, stunned by its beauty. “It takes hundreds of our strongest magi to bring a Primus Summon into existence…”   
   
 “They are creatures born from the planet,” Shirabu explained, “Emerging directly from the crystals… as are we.”   
   
 Oikawa glanced at him.   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes softened, only for a moment. “The time is almost upon us, Brother. We will be striking at the Emperor’s main ship.”   
   
 “Yes.” Oikawa glanced back down to the map below him. “We will strike from the port side and board it. We must get ready to move quickly.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Emperor had stood from his seat and was now watching as Shiratorizawa struggled against his air fleet. Yes, it was taking down several of his ships, but it could not move close and soon Oikawa would be here to assist. Everything was going according to plan! He smirked and crossed his arms. “It is only a matter of time before—”   
   
 The ship rocked with force.   
   
 The Emperor caught himself on his chair and looked up. “What happened?”   
   
 “We’ve been hit, Sir!”   
   
 “By what?” His eyes narrowed. “From where!?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shirabu danced with his whip blade, taking down several soldiers that blocked his way. Many of them stepped aside, some throwing down their weapons, and others joining their attack when they saw Oikawa Tooru, Prince of Rodzina, but not all.   
   
 Some soldiers, especially those infused with Sakusa’s magic, were stalwart in defending the Emperor against any threat.   
   
 Shirabu sliced them apart, feeling no mercy.   
   
 Tendou and Semi also moved with impressive speed, nullifying threats left and right.   
   
 Iwaizumi kicked a soldier down. “Just past that room is the bridge!”   
   
 Oikawa summoned a sphere of water while Shirabu conjured the force of gravity. Together, they launched their spells as one, blasting the tall door open.   
   
 There was a loud scream.   
   
 Oikawa moved in and took his battle pose.   
   
 The Emperor squabbled. “Tooru!?”   
   
 Several soldiers lowered their weapons, but some kept them up.   
   
 “The Fires of Valentia!” The Emperor realised, “The enemy! Turncoats! Betray—”   
   
 “Was it us who betrayed Rodzina,” Shirabu cut in, “Or was it you!?”   
   
 “My daughter—”   
   
 “Son,” Shirabu corrected.   
   
 “My son,” The Emperor whispered in disbelief, “You live? Praise the waters! But…”   
   
 “Father.” Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “I live.”   
   
 “My son,” The Emperor repeated. His eyes fell upon his cloak, that of the Fires, and his eyes widened. “What has Valentia done to you? How have they brainwashed you!? Everything I have done was for Rodzina! How can you strike against your own family and blood now!?”   
   
 “Everything you did was for Rodzina?” Shirabu clasped his weapon tight. “You killed mother! Was that for Rodzina as well!?”   
   
 The soldiers who still had their weapons up suddenly faltered for a moment.   
   
 “I-I!” He stepped back. “I d-did no such thing!”   
   
 “Father,” Oikawa said with a sneer, “You’ve always been a good liar… but that was a bad one.” He began walking forward, ignoring the shrill yell from The Emperor. “You killed mother, insulted our Chancellor, and sold our country to Sakusa for his war effort. You blamed everyone else, and created a puzzle of lies for your own gain!”   
   
 The Emperor pulled out a rapier and pointed it at him.   
   
 “Stop!” Tendou blurred forward to yank Oikawa back. “Touch that blade even a little…” His eyes widened. “And your life essence will bleed out of you little by little, until you’re just a husk of a person left.”   
   
 “That rapier…” Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “It’s the same as Thirteen’s, however…”   
   
 The Emperor smirked. His blade was a mishmash of red metals and obsidian, looking like the very same glimmer of Death itself. “Sakusa gifted me a little way to keep myself safe… Even you, Fires of Valentia, should fear this beauty!”   
   
 “It’s corrupt.” Shirabu glared. “You dare use that against your own children!”   
   
 “Children?” His eyes narrowed. “And what about you, my dear? How are you any different than this sword!?”   
   
 “What did you say?”   
   
 “I was told one member had their memories intact… but I’m sure even you wouldn’t remember. Sakusa told me the truth! He told me how the Fires were made! Each one of you  _died!”_    
   
 Shirabu’s eyes widened. “We—”   
   
 “And you were infused with the essence of Death! You are not my son… My son is dead, and his corpse has withered and died… Surely you’ve noticed, haven’t you…? Those bodies you have now! They’re fakes!”   
   
 Shirabu stepped back. He wanted to yell, to deny it, but… He looked at his hands.   
   
 “So what if I killed one woman!” The Emperor yelled, “The Queen did kill my youngest child! She killed every one of the Fires, to create war machines, and this!” He held up his rapier. “Is no different! So what if I killed your precious mommy!? So what if I killed my wife!? It was worth it! The power it gave me!”   
   
 Oikawa yelled, “You’re mad!”   
   
 He pointed the rapier at Oikawa and vaulted forward.   
   
 Both Oikawa and Iwaizumi were too slow to react.   
   
 “Father!” Shirabu’s blade turned into a whip and he struck to deflect the strike.   
   
 The Emperor moved back with inhuman speed and then surged forward again.   
   
 The killing strike, Shirabu readied his weapon, but in the last moment—   
   
  _I can’t do it, I can’t—_    
   
 Daggers flew from the walls, spearing The Emperor in several places. A swash of acid at his throat tore away his windpipe. The Emperor fell at once.   
   
 Shirabu stepped back.   
   
 “It is the duty of the royal guards,” Semi whispered, “To defend our masters.”   
   
 Shirabu turned his head slowly to him, eyes wide.   
   
 “Forgive me, Sire.” Semi lowered his head to Shirabu. “I took it upon myself to end it… I did not want the blood on your hands.”   
   
 Shirabu simply returned, “Eita…”   
   
 Semi looked at him, nodding once.   
   
 “He’s dead.” Oikawa’s heart was still racing. “It. It had to be done.”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “Father…?”   
   
 The Emperor looked up. Barely breathing, he spat out, “I regret… nothing!”   
   
 Semi threw a knife into his skull, piercing his brain. “Enough of him. Rodzina looks to the future now.”   
   
 The Emperor’s rapier faded.   
   
 Tendou nodded. “Yeah!” He turned to Shirabu and Oikawa. “This is a long fight, but we’ve got to stop it before more people die!”   
   
 Shirabu glanced at Oikawa.   
   
 Oikawa met his gaze before nodding. He stepped forward, over his father’s body, and looked around the room. The soldiers were all staring at him, a mix of emotions on their faces. Oikawa couldn’t identify them all. “Everyone,” he said with as much force as he could, “Do you accept me… as the commander of this airship? As the ruler of Rodzina? Do you accept me, as Emperor?”   
   
 One by one, they all saluted.   
   
 Oikawa moved to his father’s control panel. “Then I will stop this battle now. Magi, broad-cast a message as wide as we can.”   
   
 “Tooru.” Iwaizumi stepped forward. “Even with all the magi, and the Fires, aboard… we won’t be able to broad-cast a message far enough to reach everyone.”   
   
 “We!” Shirabu glared. “We have to do something! Every second we’re wasting…”   
   
 “Every second,” Tendou caught on, “Is another soldier who dies.”   
   
 “Then.” Oikawa frowned. “We still need to try, we need to…” His eyes focused on a drop of water floating mid air. He spun, towards the doors they had blasted open, and his heart rose. “You—”   
   
 “Water, it exists everywhere, Your Majesty.” Stepping into the room, Haiba Alisa’s heels made a sound on the metal floor. “Moisture, it extends to the far reaches of every part of this continent. Allow me, Emperor Oikawa Tooru von Rodzina, to assist you, in your hour of need.”   
   
 “Chancellor Alisa,” Oikawa’s voice almost got lost in his throat. “Ally…”   
   
 Alisa nodded. “I will broad-cast a spell far and wide enough, but I will not do it alone.”   
   
 Shinsuke Kita was at her side, giving a small nod. “The winds will carry your message.”   
   
 “And I.” Terushima had his hands on his hips. “Will do what I can, yo.”   
   
 Alisa nodded. She raised a hand and formed a sphere of pure energy. “I have served your family for generations, centuries… and I will do so again gladly for you. Your message will be heard.”   
   
 The orb hovered in front of Oikawa. He looked at Shirabu, and they both nodded. He placed his hand on the orb and felt Shirabu’s as well. “Together.”   
   
 Shirabu smiled. “Together.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The two armies clashed and continued their fight, even amidst the corpses of giant beasts and ruptured airships. Swords and arrows, spells and canons, the fighting stretched from coast to coast, unstoppable, endless, and forever.   
   
 But a light in the sky caught their attention.   
   
 A blue curtain wove through the crowds, causing them to stir and stop.   
   
  _“Soldiers of Chhal, Valentia, Nuru, Woede, and Rodzina… This is the First Prince Oikawa Tooru von Rodzina. I ask you, please… to lay down your weapons and listen.”_    
   
 Soldiers of all armies paused, but still gripped their weapons, looking at one another.   
   
 Up above, several airships stopped firing and hung in the sky.   
   
 Even Shiratorizawa, though wounded, paused its assault and pulled back.   
   
  _“My father, Emperor of Rodzina, has been found guilty of several crimes… of killing the Empress, taking her throne, of manipulating information for his own gain, and joining a military coalition based on an unjust cause.”_    
   
 Tsukishima, behind the wheel of the Gold Eagle, stared blankly at the sky.   
   
  _“I will take the place as Emperor, and I hereby retract all war efforts of Rodzina. I ask again for all soldiers to lower their weapons. Soldiers of Chhal… while I cannot allow Sakusa’s actions to go unpunished—I will grant you all safe passage home. These lands are now welcome to all monarchs of the four kingdoms, as well as the Tenno of Nuru.”_    
   
 Another voice spoke,   
   
  _“People of Rodzina.”_    
   
 In a city, civilians hiding in their homes, they perked up knowing that voice, hearts stirring—   
   
  _“This is the Second Prince, Kenjirou Shirabu til’ Rodzina… I regret that i have been away from you, but I must reveal that my actions were at the request of my mother. I confirm my brother’s accusations, and support his ascent to the throne.”_    
   
 Sitting in the Great Tree of Woede, Yahaba’s chest tightened and he shut his eyes.   
   
  _“Under a new rule,”_  Oikawa said,  _“Rodzina will do what is right.”_    
   
 In the command centre of Nuru, Asahi nodded along.   
   
  _“We are moving forward,”_  Shirabu explained,  _“To a new age.”_    
   
 Yachi, flanked by two burning braziers, closed her eyes, and let a smile form along her lips.   
   
  _“The future,”_  Oikawa hesitated for a moment,  _“The future of Rodzina, for all of us, will be a bright one.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Lady Alisa…” Oikawa removed his hand. His eyes brimmed with tears. “Thank you… and to you, Chancellor of Woede, and of Nuru.”   
   
 Alisa shook her head. “Thank  _you,_  Your Majesty.”   
   
 Kita nodded slowly. “The fighting has stopped. I will return to my Thane.”   
   
 Terushima just snapped his fingers, dispersing into light.   
   
 Oikawa turned away from them. “Kenjirou.”   
   
 Shirabu glanced up, eyes wet.   
   
 “Welcome home.”   
   
 Shirabu felt Oikawa hug him, and he smiled, a pained smile, but hugged back. “Thank you, Brother… but.” He pulled away, eyes downcast. “I’m afraid I will be going back to Valentia.”   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened. “You must…?”   
   
 “Until Chhal…” Shirabu looked up. “Until Sakusa recedes his war effort, I will be a part of the Fires of Valentia. But… we will fight under the same sky, under the same cause, the same banner. You won’t be alone anymore.”   
   
 “Thank you.” Oikawa closed his eyes and smiled wide. “Thank y—”   
   
 “Shirabu!” Tendou yelled, at the top of his lungs.   
   
 “You—” Forged from rock and sand, at the back of the room, near the ceiling, Sakusa was overflowing with Death as he growled, “You always ruin everything!”   
   
 Alisa spun, but she knew she couldn’t—   
   
 Pouring all of his energy into a single spell, Sakusa flung a whirling weapon at the two of them.   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes widened. “A scythe…?”   
   
 Iwaizumi reached for Oikawa, but he felt someone else blur faster.   
   
 Summoning every ounce of strength he had, Semi Eita shoved the two royals aside and felt the scythe tear into him.   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes widened as he was falling back. “Eita, why—”   
   
 “Because I remember…” Semi’s back burst with blood, and his consciousness wavered. “I remember… who… I was…”


	10. Wisdom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's dedicated to YourGaygerBoi, who I met more recently, but just brings a lot of energy to their comments and their love for this story. They get so excited, and it gets _me_ excited. So, thanks to your just... uninhibited joy and reactions, for making me smile a dozen times now, thank you~  <3
> 
> Here's Chapter 10! A bit of a different flavour of chapters, but one I am really happy with how it came out!
> 
> * * *

 Torn open, bleeding – not just blood, no. That would have been simple… The crystal-forged weapon Sakusa had used had torn deeper than flesh: It had torn into his soul. The wound bled not just with red fluid, but leaked parts of his spirit and his existence, causing them to drift far away… His consciousness was being torn to shreds, torn to shards, and he was being undone. He wasn’t breathing anymore, and the sound of distant screaming seemed ever further away.   
   
 Though he tried to move closer to the voices, he was being pulled back.   
   
 He was being swallowed by the void, swallowed by Death itself.   
   
 He felt the crush of his chest, and the bites along his arms…   
   
 He wasn’t dead yet! But… he was close, so close, and only getting closer.   
   
 He was fading.   
   
 He was dying.   
   
 And he didn’t have any way to stop it.   
   
 His mind raced, forgetting names and faces, but he searched his broken memory for something… someone… that could save him. He knew not even the Chancellors could bring him back now that his soul had been ruptured… but there was one. There was something that could help him.   
   
 Someone that could save him.   
   
 Semi Eita reached his hand out of the blood-red void that was swallowing his soul. “You!” He tried to focus his rattled mind, tried to centre his garroted soul. “You can save me, can’t you? Will you…? Will you save me?” He reached out in the direction his heart and mind told him to reach, and he was rewarded with a small shining light in the distance. “Help me, please…” He grit his teeth. “Help me!”   
   
 The light began to shine brighter, and Semi’s hopes rose.   
   
 And then the light flickered out.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Eita…”   
   
 The voice was small, and quiet. Unusually so.   
   
 Semi Eita – no. That wasn’t his name, not yet anyway. Eita turned to the four year old boy who was holding his hand. “Koushi,” the words spilled from his lips, and he didn’t know why. Was he watching… a memory. “Don’t cry…”   
   
 “But.” Suga’s eyes were red from all the tears he’d been shedding out of sight, but he could hide them no longer. Here… under the winding roots of the Great Tree, in the heart of Woede… Sugawara’s hands were squeezing Eita’s so hard they hurt. “But…”   
   
 Eita didn’t know what to do, what to say… He had accepted his fate long ago, with his twin brother’s help… He only realised now that his brother had accepted it only as a facade, as a mask, to help Eita feel better about the decision. He wanted to scream, to kick, to yell, and fight everyone. He wanted to be by his brother’s side, he didn’t want—   
   
 “Eita.”   
   
 Eita turned towards the soft voice.   
   
 Haiba Alisa stood, looking exactly the same as she did in the present. “Come along now.” She offered her hand. Her eyes held the same sadness that Sugawara’s had.   
   
 Semi noted that, and wondered why she was doing it if it made her so sad… But, he turned to Suga. “I have to go.”   
   
 Sugawara sniffled, shaking his head.   
   
 “We won’t forget each other,” Eita assured.   
   
 Sugawara squeezed.   
   
 “We’ll find ways,” Eita assured, “To see each other again.”   
   
 Sugawara took a deep breath; at once, he let go.   
   
 The loss of the squeezing sensation was both warm and cold in Eita’s hands, but he knew he had to go now. He knew there was no point delaying the inevitable. His brother had accepted it… for now. Sugawara Koushi had always been more fickle than Sugawara Eita… So, Eita took Alisa’s hand, and nodded. They began walking away, and Eita looked over his shoulder.   
   
 Sugawara was looking on at him, tears pouring from his eyes.   
   
 Eita silently thanked him, for keeping all those tears in until now, even if he was angry about being lied to. It was clear Suga had done it for him… a gift of sorts… Eita didn’t like the gift, but he knew – he knew he would have fought this, tooth and nail, if he hadn’t gotten the support from his brother… but… there was no way to win. The adults had already told him, it was decided – and it had been decided for many years. They were just orphans, their parents had died in the gladiator rings underneath Woede, and the older and wiser ones had made plans for them years ago.   
   
 Those plans… would be followed.   
   
 And no one could stop it.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi.   
   
 Eita whispered the name a few times, silently.   
   
 “It means half,” the Empress of Rodzina explained, “For you are the shadow half.”   
   
 Eita looked up at her.   
   
 She reminded him of Alisa, in a sense. Although she was one of the adults, she had a softness and a human sadness to her that seemed so rare. The Wind Chancellor, Kita Shinsuke, had also given off the same… impression…   
   
 Eita didn’t know what it meant, but he merely repeated, “Semi.”   
   
 “You will be a member of the royal guard…” She knelt down in front of him; and, gently, took his small hands in her much bigger ones. “Your task will be to protect the Second Princess… to protect my child.”   
   
 Eita nodded slowly. “I’m going to protect her.”   
   
 “Yes.” The Empress’ eyes softened. “And for that… I will always be in your debt.”   
   
 Eita’s chest tightened.   
   
 The Empress – in his debt? No, this was—   
   
 “Thank you, Eita.” She smiled at him with warmth. “The Second Princess will not take throne… and, in that regard, what she does with her life… is not defined. It is not your duty alone to protect her, but to give her counsel when she has no one else to turn to. That is the duty of the Royal Guard.”   
   
 Eita blinked. “But… if she doesn’t know what to do… how would I? She’s a princess.”   
   
 The Empress laughed. “I suppose you’re right… but I think you’ll understand as time goes on. You will begin your training… combat, as well as education, and you will be both strong and wise. You will be her shield, her shadow, and her sword. Promise me you will do your best to protect her.”   
   
 “I will.” He nodded firmly. “I promise.”   
   
 “Good. Then you will begin your training today. You will meet with Coach Irihata and Chancellor Alisa… they will find what elements and weapons you are naturally born to use.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Who’s this?”   
   
 Semi froze at that voice. He hadn’t seen or heard anyone approach, and he had been on guard too. He spun around, summoning his daggers. He was seven years old now, and the man in front of him seemed to loom with power. They were in the Waterways, the main channel, where they trained with blades and magics.   
   
 “Don’t scare him, Sakusa.”   
   
 Sakusa glanced to the side, making eye contact with Alisa. “Oh.” He looked at Semi and bowed his head. “Sorry, little one. I didn’t mean to worry you. I am not a foe.”   
   
 Sakusa – Eita knew him from the readings. He dismissed his weapons and bowed low.   
   
 Alisa walked over, standing quite close to Sakusa, as if they were very close friends. “This is Semi Eita. He is training to be the Princess’ Royal Guard. He was the tribute from Woede…”   
   
 “Tribute?” Sakusa sneered.   
   
 Semi tensed, keeping his head low. Was there something wrong with him, or—?   
   
 “Are we still doing that?” Sakusa spoke low, for Alisa’s ear only (though Semi heard him using magic – as he was taught). “Tearing children from families, as peace offerings between nations?”   
   
 “Those were the orders…”   
   
 “Alisa… how can you take part in this?” Sakusa scowled. “It is barbaric, to treat the sanctity of life without any respect. Each human has a soul, and those souls are why we are what we are. How could the Empress agree?”   
   
 “Well…” Alisa crossed her arms, frowning as well. “Woede’s Thane is on his deathbed… young Shigeru will take the throne as a child. The High Thane wanted to ensure peace between Rodzina and Woede… and so we were offered half of a pair.”   
   
 “Half?”   
   
 “He… has a brother.” Alisa turned away from Semi. “And—”   
   
 No.   
   
 Somewhere in the present, Semi Eita knew he had not heard this part of the conversation, and yet—   
   
 “They were children when their parents died,” Alisa murmured, “And their parents wanted to make warriors… they infused them with Death at a young age.”   
   
 Sakusa’s eyes widened. “But…”   
   
 “They were just children,” Alisa whispered, “It was either to make them as Tribute… or to order them to be killed.”   
   
 “Alisa—”   
   
 “My organisation has rules, Sakusa, and I cannot bend them… I can only find loopholes. This is one of them.” Alisa bit her lip for a moment. “At least, here, the two of them will live with purpose, meaning…”   
   
 Sakusa’s frown lessened only slightly. “It is the lesser of two evils, I suppose.”   
   
 “Kita said the same thing.”   
   
 “Ah,” Sakusa spoke louder (and this part, the Semi of the past could hear), “How is he?”   
   
 “He is well.” Alisa dipped her head. “As wind and water, we meet often. I do not see much of Daishou, though.”   
   
 “It was earth and fire that forged the planet,” Sakusa said with a smile. “The two of us are always meeting. He is doing good as well.”   
   
 Alisa smiled warmly. “One day the four of us should reunite, like old times.”   
   
 “Ah…” Sakusa’s smile grew bigger than Semi – from future or past – had ever seen. “Those were good days.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Ew!” Oikawa danced away from the spew of green ichor that splashed in front of him. “What is that stuff?”   
   
 Semi was ten when he was asked to demonstrate his powers. In the Waterways, he created several globs of a yellow-green fluid and let them hang in the air at different altitudes. “Acid,” he explained, “And poison.” He snapped his finger, and each orb burst open, splashing out.   
   
 Oikawa backed away even more. “Yuck!”   
   
 The Empress glanced over to—   
   
 Well, he had a different name back then, but—   
   
 Shirabu watched with a certain hint of approval. He was still known as the Second Princess back then, and had been notorious in turning down members of the Royal Guard. His older brother had called him picky, but upon seeing the splash of that ichor, he glanced down to the yellow stone that seemed to dissolve at the touch. “It seems efficient.”   
   
 Semi glanced to Shirabu. It was for this moment alone he had been training.   
   
 “I’m sure even a few drops in a drink could be an effective kill,” Shirabu went on.   
   
 Oikawa looked at him, scandalised.   
   
 The Empress eyed Shirabu carefully.   
   
 “I take it you are an assassin,” Shirabu spoke in a way that demanded a response.   
   
 Semi pulled two knives out of the secret slits in his clothing.   
   
 Shirabu raised an eyebrow.   
   
 “If you are intrigued,” the Empress spoke, “Then you should take him as your shadow.”   
   
 “Shadow,” Shirabu repeated, before nodding. “I shall take him as my Royal Guard.”   
   
 “You…” The Empress searched for words. “Don’t require, additional viewings?”   
   
 “Yeah!” Oikawa pouted, crossing his arms. “You’re usually so picky.”   
   
 “He…” Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “There’s something about him. He’s been… infused, with something.”   
   
 Semi blinked.   
   
 The Empress gawked a bit, her composure breaking.   
   
 “So.” Alisa stepped forward from behind the royals. “It seems your youngest has a sensitivity to it, Your Majesty.”   
   
 Shirabu glanced over. “To what?”   
   
 And the Semi – the Semi from the present, the future, knew:  _Death._    
   
 Oikawa crossed his arms. “Well, you can have a yucky acid mage if you want! I like Iwa! He’s a big strong warrior!”   
   
 Semi glanced over to Oikawa. “Aren’t you too old to be giving kiddy nicknames?”   
   
 Oikawa  _yelped._    
   
 Shirabu  _smirked._    
   
 “You’re talking to your future Emperor!”   
   
 “Hm.” Semi eyed him. “Not my Emperor yet.”   
   
 Oikawa gasped.   
   
 The Empress covered her mouth, hiding a laugh.   
   
 “Mom!” Oikawa stomped his feet. “Not you too, Ally!”   
   
 Alisa made much less of an attempt to hide her laugh.   
   
 Shirabu glanced to Semi, smirk never fading.   
   
 Semi made eye contact, and felt his cheeks warm.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 At fourteen, Semi Eita had already been known amongst the higher ranking individuals of the Rodzina army. As an assassin, his identity was very well concealed to the majority of them, but those who needed to know who he was knew him very well. He executed a number of missions successfully, despite Shirabu not wanting him to take on dangers, but that was his duty.   
   
 As far as most people knew, he was just a bodyguard-in-training for when Shirabu was older.   
   
 But, even at fourteen, he had killed more enemies of Rodzina than most soldiers.   
   
 Rodzina was the largest of the nations, with a population easily double that of Valentia’s. As Rodzina was not at war, the enemies were not from without, but from within. Many nobles and civilians were plotting their own selfish rise to power, and Semi became a force that would deal with them, securing the royal family as the head, and ensuring that a noble and fair ruling be impressed upon the people.   
   
 But – he was also a bodyguard.   
   
 A Royal Guard.   
   
 And so, he had to make appearances at times…   
   
 Times like now…   
   
 “Woede.”   
   
 Iwaizumi nudged him gently.   
   
 Semi tensed.   
   
 “This…” Iwaizumi whispered, “You’ve been here before?”   
   
 “I was born here,” Semi kept his voice low.   
   
 “You… are not from Rodzina?”   
   
 “I was… given, to Rodzina, at the age of four.” Semi felt his heart pounding in his chest. “I…”   
   
 “Are you looking for something?”   
   
 “My… my brother.” Semi swallowed hard. “We were twins…”   
   
 “Identical?”   
   
 He shook his head. “But when we were kids, we might as well have been… I wonder if we still look alike.”   
   
 Iwaizumi’s eyes softened. “We could ask.”   
   
 “No.” Semi took a small breath. “I don’t want Her Highness to find out.”   
   
 Iwaizumi opened his mouth to speak, but slowly closed it. He just nodded.   
   
 Semi was thankful.   
   
 The rolling hills of green, the way wind swept over it, the beautiful blue skies… Woede. Atop the crown of the Great Tree, this sight… Semi’s chest tightened and he pinched the pad of his pointer finger with his thumbnail to keep himself from crying. All it would take would be—   
   
 “Yoohoo!”   
   
 They both glanced to the side.   
   
 Oikawa was waving them over. “Over here!”   
   
 Iwaizumi and Semi moved.   
   
 The Empress’ eternally warm smile softened when her eyes fell on Semi.   
   
 Semi just gave her a reassuring nod.   
   
 “Your Majesty,” Oikawa said with a smile, “Let me introduce you to our guards. This is Iwaizumi Hajime, my guard, and Semi Eita, my sister’s. Iwa, Semi, this is High Thane Yahaba Shigeru.”   
   
 Semi bowed low, as did Iwaizumi.   
   
 Yahaba was younger than Oikawa was.   
   
 Semi wondered how someone so young could rule…   
   
 “Eita,” Yahaba said with a small smile. “It’s been a long time.”   
   
 “Yes, Your Majesty.”   
   
 Both Oikawa and Shirabu gave him a questioning look.   
   
 “There is someone who would like to speak with you,” Yahaba said carefully, “If you have the time that is.”   
   
 “I am on duty now,” Semi said, even if it broke his heart. “My duty comes first.”   
   
 “Very well.”   
   
 Yahaba turned to the statue – the Warrior of Light. “It is one of our oldest legends, as this warrior was the one who united the four nations,” he spoke quietly, “It is thanks to him, we have the nations we have now.”   
   
 Semi stopped listening. He knew this story—knew it well. Or at least… he wanted to stop listening. His ears picked up on the part of the story that always seemed to sting—   
   
  _“Stabbed in the back, left to die…”_  Yahaba went on,  _“In the end, he fell.”_    
   
 Semi ignored it. He felt a small gust of wind, and he glanced over his shoulder.   
   
 Far away, a single figure stood in the rolling hills of grass.   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened.   
   
 Sugawara Koushi watched, from far away.   
   
 Semi felt his eyes well up, but he forced it down. He turned away, hands shaking.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Eita. I have an order for you.”   
   
 “Yes, Your Highness?”   
   
 “I want you…” There was a cautious breath. “I want you to refer to me as ‘he’, when we are in private.”   
   
 “As you wish, Your Highness.”   
   
 Shirabu glanced at him, an unreadable expression on his face.   
   
 Semi – if he was being honest – felt conflicted about the sight before him. He knew he was privy to such things… Shirabu lounging on his bed, in soft silk clothing, loose and mildly revealing. He sat upon the heavily cushioned bed, with the falling purple curtains a backdrop to his body. Slender legs revealed…   
   
 Semi knew this was a sight only he was privy to.   
   
 And he  _loved_  it.   
   
 And yet – he felt conflicted.   
   
 Shirabu was not his to enjoy, and yet…   
   
 “You do not have any questions?” Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “You are not surprised? Could I ask you to do anything and you would just reply with yes, Your Highness, like an unthinking dog?”   
   
 “Oi,” Semi spoke with a certain hint of danger.   
   
 Shirabu flinched slightly.   
   
 “I am yours, and your servant. I have sacrificed much to be your guard,” Semi murmured, “But I will not have you insult me, regardless if you are my charge or not.”   
   
 Shirabu swallowed hard.   
   
 “But, Your Highness, to answer your question…” Semi kept his arms behind his back, standing perfectly straight. “I am your shadow… I have seen more of you than anyone else has. What you have asked me doesn’t surprise me – it has only been a matter of how long until you were to ask me.”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes softened, and he looked away. His cheeks flushed pink.   
   
 “If there is anything else I can do, Your Highness, then I—”   
   
 “That.” Shirabu frowned, but kept his gaze down. “Can you stop calling me that?”   
   
 “…Stop calling you…?”   
   
 “Your Highness. Stop calling me that.”   
   
 “No, Your Highness.”   
   
 Shirabu scowled.   
   
 In all seventeen years of Semi’s life, it had been that scowl that was the scariest – and yet it excited him in a strange way. His master’s ferocity was a force to be reckoned with. Still, Semi would never anger him on purpose. He lowered his head in a show of obedience. “Does it upset you?”   
   
 “Yes!” Shirabu looked like he was going to rise from the bed, but he relaxed back in it. “Your Highness this, Your Highness that… Highness… one day I want to just be me. At least in my own room, I don’t want to be anyone or anything else… just me.”   
   
 Semi said nothing.   
   
 “Kenjirou…”   
   
 Semi said nothing, though he had a feeling where this was going.   
   
 “One day, when I change my name… I will be Kenjirou.” Shirabu bit his lip. “I will be Kenjirou Oikawa ‘til Rodzina.”   
   
 “Prince Kenjirou,” Semi murmured to himself, as if tasting it on his tongue.   
   
 Shirabu jolted.   
   
 Semi lowered his head. “I am sorry.”   
   
 “S-Sorry? Why?”   
   
 “You did not enjoy me calling you Your Highness… so I supposed…”   
   
 “No, it’s fine.” Shirabu bit his lip. “Call me that one more time.”   
   
 Semi smirked. “As you wish, my  _prince.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 At eighteen, Semi’s powers only grew. He had taken special lessons with Alisa, allowing him to draw on the power of Death. He used it to weave shadows around himself, and often stalked the hallways of Rodzina’s palace at night by doing so. It was an efficient method; and, even the other shadows on guard didn’t notice him. It made him feel superior, but it was not the only thing that had changed.   
   
 He had signed up to be Shirabu’s shield, shadow, and blade.   
   
 Now – as he had longed for, but never thought it possible – he was a lover too.   
   
 It came soon after, when Shirabu couldn’t resist and quietly ordered Semi to kiss him. Shirabu apologised afterwards, begging forgiveness, admitting it was foolish and selfish, and that he was disgusting for using the privilege of the crown for such a thing… but Semi kissed him again, pulling him close. Stunned, Shirabu stared at him with no expression. It was Semi’s turn to apologise, for being a servant, a guard, who had desires and thoughts that he shouldn’t have.   
   
 After a silence, Shirabu had decided that neither side needed to apologise.   
   
 Shirabu spoke sweet words in his ear, later that night, as they lay in the same bed together. Shirabu spoke about how much he admired Semi, his strength, his guile, his decisiveness, and how he kept his head cool despite the situations. He whispered about how Semi always seemed to know him, understand him, and serve him better than just a bodyguard could…   
   
 Semi returned the sentiment, admiring Shirabu’s passion, strength, and ability to command. Shirabu had been born second, and had no throne waiting for him – and so Shirabu had found his own way to be useful: A spy network that he would work personally with. Outside of the shadows who worked for him, only the Empress, Iwaizumi, and Alisa knew of its existence. Oikawa would learn when it was necessary, and there was no reason to tell the Emperor. Semi spoke about how much pride he had in his duty, and that it was a duty and an organisation founded by Shirabu, and Shirabu’s mind.   
   
 During the day, no one could tell their relationship was any different, but under the shadows of the night… it was much easier to indulge in each other’s company, warmth, and kisses.   
   
 The Empress had given Semi a knowing smile one day, when he was late for a meeting, and Semi had blushed fiercely. The Empress had said nothing, though, and Semi took that as her blessing.   
   
 Alisa had been more outright in commenting on their relationship – that had almost sent Semi into shock. Alisa laughed and said she wouldn’t tell anyone. Though she could be serious, her aloofness didn’t inspire much confidence in secret-keeping, but Semi would have to trust her either way.   
   
 Alisa.   
   
 Semi walked through the shadows, drawing on the power of Death to mask his presence entirely.   
   
 Semi had followed hushed words that were being hidden by magic. He had initially assumed it was a group of assassins whose lives were going to be forfeit, but upon approach he realised he knew this voice.   
   
 Alisa.   
   
 And—   
   
 Semi backed against the wall, looking around the corner to catch a quick glance.   
   
 Alisa had Sakusa’s hands in her own. “Please—”   
   
 “It’s not working!” Sakusa was trying to keep his voice down, but he was shaking. “My powers, I…”   
   
 “Sakusa, please… calm down…”   
   
 “Look.” Sakusa broke away from her and opened his hands. “Look!”   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened.   
   
 Sakusa attempted to conjure earth, but the earth crumbled as if decaying. “It is my duty to heal the world! Protect its people! What is happening to me…? How can I work like this…?” He closed his eyes. “Am I dying, Alisa?”   
   
 “No.” Alisa shook her head and clasped his hands. “Your energy is still pure. It is… weaker, yes. But you are not dying.”  
   
 “What is happening to me…?”   
   
 Alisa bit her lip, eyebrows in a tight frown.   
   
 “I gave everything for this planet! I gave everything I am to this world!” Sakusa almost sobbed. “And now I’ve been stabbed in the back, left to die… just like he was…”   
   
 “Oh Sakusa,” Alisa’s voice broke as she said, “Come here.” She pulled him in hug. “That was over a thousand years ago… still you mourn him.”   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened.   
   
  _A thousand…_    
   
 “I…” Sakusa sobbed.   
   
 Semi stared, only realising now that Alisa… Semi had gone from childhood to adulthood, and Alisa – she hadn’t aged a day.   
   
  _What… are, the Chancellors?_    
   
 “Sakusa…” Alisa squeezed him. “You truly loved him, didn’t you?”   
   
 “As my own family…” Sakusa shoved his face in the crook of Alisa’s neck, shaking. “As my own.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 What he had seen that day troubled him, but he kept it to himself. His faith, and his loyalty, in Haiba Alisa – in both her ability to solve the issue, and her inferred desire to keep this hidden – made him do so.   
   
 Over time, he forgot about it.   
   
 (How could he have?)   
   
 Over time, his relationship with Shirabu changed too. Every so often, Semi would find other lovers. Shirabu didn’t mind. It never affected Semi’s loyalty to him, and that was clear as day.   
   
 Semi’s nightly sneakings didn’t stop either, not for another five years. Semi Eita was used to moving in the shadows, and he often did whenever he felt something was amiss in the palace. He had personally uncovered several assassins and ploys, though at times he also found the palace staff having rendezvous – sometimes as friends, other times as lovers. He did nothing about those, but he was certain this was not one of those times.   
   
 “Closer,” Shirabu whispered. “I can’t hear them.”   
   
 “Careful,” Semi shot back. He pulled Shirabu closer, hand hooked around his waist, as he blurred into a pillar in the throne room.   
   
 The Empress was sitting on her throne, despite the absolute darkness. Only shreds of moonlight hung in the sky, and the flowing waters gave off a small glow… but even so, it was obvious she could not see the person in front of her very well.   
   
 Shirabu listened intently. He was the one who had noticed his mother acting strangely, and when Semi reported that she was stalking through the night – Shirabu demanded to come with.   
   
 There was a person who had kneeled in front of the throne. “Your Majesty…” This person wore a black robe and a cowl that covered them completely. “Thank you for seeing me in these darkened hours.”   
   
 “It may be darkened hours,” The Empress replied, “But these are dark times. Come closer, Little Fire.”   
   
 The person seemed to twitch at the nickname, but stood. Hands reached up and pulled back the hood—   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes widened.   
   
 Semi’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Yachi Hitoka, Queen of Fire, stepped closer. “Your Majesty…”   
   
 “I know what you are going to say… Chhal has been plagued with civil unrest… Wars are brewing.”   
   
 “This is not, alone, a human conflict.” Yachi put her hands together and dipped her head. “This is far worse than you can imagine.”   
   
 “Their Chancellor,” was all the Empress said.   
   
 Yachi flinched. “I… I insult you, forgive me.”   
   
 “Yes, you do, for I know more than you expect… but it is only because I have made it that way.” She crossed her arms and smiled with warmth. “The Chancellor of Earth, Sakusa, will most likely strike at Rodzina first… They are a desert nation, and we are what they envy – a nation of water. We have an easy life compared to them.”   
   
 “No.” Yachi shook her head. “It will be Valentia that falls first.”   
   
 The Empress didn’t seem surprised.   
   
 “It’s true… your resources are wanted by the people of Chhal… but it is the Chancellor who will wage war. His powers are being lost, and it makes sense he will want to strike at my Chancellor – whose powers only grow. He has begun to believe Lord Suguru is somehow… responsible.”   
   
 “Is he?”   
   
 “I do not believe so.”   
   
 “But… you do not rule it out.”   
   
 “The Chancellors are beyond us,” Yachi whispered, “Trying to understand them makes little sense.”   
   
 “That is true,” The Empress agreed, “However…”   
   
 “However…” Yachi lowered her head. “Daishou has… offered a plan.”   
   
 As they listened, Shirabu’s eyes widened. Semi opened his mouth, shaking with anger, but he reigned it in.   
   
 “For this unit to work,” Yachi went on, “I will need those with exposure or sensitivities to the forbidden element, Death. I have been informed you have a powerful operative who works under Alisa.”   
   
 “Satori?”   
   
 “Yes. I wish to take Tendou Satori as our Number Seven.”   
   
 “He will make a good candidate. However… I would like to offer my own candidate as well.”   
   
 Yachi blinked. “A candidate?”   
   
 “Yes. I want to offer my child.”   
   
 Yachi tensed.   
   
 Semi froze.   
   
 Shirabu flinched.   
   
 “I am the Empress of Water…” She opened her hands. “I gave my little ones pendants, when they were just babes… They don’t know this, but I have always known exactly where my two little troublemakers are…”   
   
 Shirabu tensed.   
   
 Semi closed his eyes and stepped out from behind the pillar. “Your Majesty.” He lowered his head. “Forgive us.”   
   
 Shirabu took a moment before he stepped out too, though he did not bow – he did not do anything but stare.   
   
 Yachi blinked. “Princess…?”   
   
 “Mother, I—”   
   
 “Come.” The Empress offered her hand.   
   
 Shirabu only spared Yachi a quick glance before he rushed in front of his mother’s throne, kneeling down and taking her hand. “Mother…”   
   
 “I suppose this isn’t what you expected,” she said with a smile, “When you wanted to escape, make a new life… redefine yourself.”   
   
 Shirabu looked up. “Mother! I!—”   
   
 “I’ve always known.”   
   
 Shirabu screwed his eyes shut. “Are you mad? Did you hear what she would do to—”   
   
 She clasped his hand with both of hers. “The Queen of Fire’s plan is mad, but I assure you… it is the only thing that can save us.”   
   
 Shirabu’s head snapped up.   
   
 “Listen well, my child. My son.” She squeezed his hands. “I will die.”   
   
 “Wh—”   
   
 “I will die,” she repeated, “Your father… has already poisoned me.”   
   
 Yachi’s eyes widened.   
   
 Semi took a step back.   
   
 Shirabu stared, jaw slack.   
   
 “The poison is already working within me, and it is just a matter of time now… In a sense, I am already dead.”   
   
 “Mom…”   
   
 “Come here, and I will tell you everything, but… please… accept this duty. For me, for your brother, for Rodzina… and for yourself.”   
   
 “I…”   
   
 Semi opened his mouth—   
   
 “I accept.” Shirabu screwed his eyes shut, tears falling. “Whatever you think is best, Mother, I will do.”   
   
 “Good.” The Empress smiled. “I know you are no fool… you have seen the heaviness in my step… the slowness in my walk… I will be gone soon.”   
   
 Semi stepped forward. “Your Majesty!”   
   
 The Empress turned to him. “No, Eita… I won’t ask you. After everything you’ve given, I won’t—”   
   
 “I accept.” Semi stood firm. “If he goes, I go.”   
   
 Shirabu turned to him, eyes wide.   
   
 “I am his guard.” Semi turned to Yachi. “Your Majesty… I have been infused by Death itself from a young age. I beg to be one of the members of this squad.”   
   
 Yachi’s eyes softened on him. “I know what I ask is steep… but the world is changing. Thank you, both of you… We must work together against the rising tide, or we will all be obliterated.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi tensed impossibly. The architecture of Valentia had not scared him, until now. There was something about this place… underground, with sceptic white-silver walls, and tiles of broad grey stone, illuminated by columns of lights… that felt very wrong. This was… well, he knew… The Sanctum of Suguru Daishou. This was the place where all his… experiments, were done.   
   
 “Eight, come forward.”   
   
 Shirabu stepped into a circular space that glowed with magic impossible to understand.   
   
 “Ah.” Daishou eyed him for a moment. “You’re the one whose memories we’re going to keep…”   
   
 “I am, yes.”   
   
 “Very well.” Daishou hummed thoughtfully. “You’ve seen how the others have done it. Are you ready?”   
   
 Semi tensed.   
   
 Shirabu glanced over to Tendou, who was lying down, faintly breathing. His eyes were covered by a bandage that was soaked red, and his whole body seemed to be twitching and deformed.   
   
 “I asked, are you ready?”   
   
 “No,” Shirabu answered, “But let’s begin anyway.”   
   
 “Very well.” Daishou scoffed. He flicked his wrists and summoned two daggers hovering beside Shirabu.   
   
 Shirabu glanced to Semi.   
   
 Semi swallowed hard, and nodded.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 After Shirabu’s turn, Semi waited with trepidation. Watching Shirabu’s body… deform from the ritual kept replaying in his mind. He took a deep breath. Daishou assured him it was a temporary measure, and Semi trusted him – as the Empress had asked him to.   
   
 “Nine, come forward.”   
   
 Semi stepped into a circular space that glowed with magic impossible to understand.   
   
 “Very well.” Daishou hummed thoughtfully. “You’ve seen how the others have done it. Are you ready?”   
   
 Semi swallowed hard. “Yes.”   
   
 “Then let’s begin.”   
   
 The daggers hovered beside him.   
   
 Semi grabbed them by the handle and shivered. These daggers were forged of crystalised Death, and merely touching them seemed to flay the skin of his hands. He wanted to scream from the pain, but he said nothing. He took a deep breath, knowing it was best to get it done quickly. He raised his arms.   
   
 The daggers had to enter the blood system, but they were too… unstable, to pierce skin. There was a spot, though, that the daggers could penetrate.   
   
 Semi brought the blades down.   
   
 His eyes.   
   
 Semi  _screamed_  as Death shot through him like a lightning bolt, burning his insides, tearing at his flesh, ripping his throat, and slashing his stomach open. He kept howling and his heart beat so fast it was about to burst. Lines raced up and down his skin, glowing with excess energy that began to split open his arms and legs. He kept screaming, throwing his head back in a howl.   
   
 Daishou wove his hands in intricate patterns. “Be filled, and be broken!” He summoned a claw and it tore into Semi’s chest, grabbing his heart. “Be broken, so that I may reforge you anew!”   
   
 Semi’s body was shaking with violent tremors until it  _burst_  into a wild flood of energy.   
   
 Daishou kept weaving his patterns.   
   
 Semi’s body was no more, cells having disintegrated. The screaming was no more, but replaced with the sound of rushing winds.   
   
 But Daishou called upon Fire, Wind, Water, Earth – and Null. He slammed them together and it created a vacuum that collected the dust that was once Semi’s body. It coalesced together, forming flesh strengthened by the arcane and by science. Daishou didn’t care that the limbs were twisted and unaligned, disproportionate, and broken. No – he could fix that later. Now he worried about the balance alone and his eyes were never blinking as he continued his work.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi Eita could no longer remember.   
   
  _Though the Semi Eita from the future, from the present, did._    
   
 Semi Eita only fought. He used swipes of acid and flying daggers to keep the others at bay. He was quickly becoming one of the ones that everyone was wary of. Good. Let them be. Even if he took a hit, his acids would dissolve their limbs, and Daishou would need to reforge them.   
   
 Daishou chastised him for breaking his comrades, but he seemed… pleased.   
   
 Good.   
   
 For Daishou – Semi’s mind kept telling him he was doing this for Daishou.   
   
 Daishou Suguru, his master.   
   
 He was sparring against one that pissed him off a lot – One, Kageyama – his opponent wove strands of non-elemental magic and could work against the spheres of ichor and acid that he let hang in the air. Finding his chance, though, he released a tidal wave of green and watched as Kageyama’s eyes widened with horror, with defeat.   
   
 But.   
   
 Semi’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 A gust of wind sent it right back at him.   
   
 Semi barely dodged, gasping for air.   
   
 Dropping from the ceiling with a gust of wind, Number Six looked up at him. “I’ll be your opponent next.”   
   
 “Y-You…” Semi’s eyes widened. “Who are you…?”   
   
 “Sugawara Koushi.” He summoned his knives, identical to Semi’s. “You and me… we got a lot in common, ne?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sugawara… or Koushi, rather, had a way of getting information out of people with his coaxing. He bothered Daishou enough until Daishou let slip they were twins.   
   
 Semi felt his heart swell. He had felt a hole, a lacking in his life, and this Suga… this Koushi was filling it quickly.   
   
 “Hey,” Suga said in his usual teasing voice. “Number Eight is looking at you. He does that a lot… maybe he likes you.”   
   
 Semi glanced over to Shirabu. “Hm.”   
   
 “Do you like him back?”   
   
 “I don’t know him.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 When they weren’t sparring themselves, they watched other members spar.   
   
 Aone was swirling his quarterstaff, whipping up a storm of sand around him in a defensive maneuver.   
   
 Kageyama backed away, growling. He tried to penetrate the shield with his magic but it was getting whipped away by the sand and the wind.   
   
 “Hm.” Semi didn’t know what compelled him to speak, but, “One’s magic is odd.”   
   
 “Null.”   
   
 Semi glanced over.   
   
 Number Eleven’s face was covered by a mask. He said nothing about himself, but Semi had learned his name a while back. Kenma glanced over to him. “Null… it is a unique element. It is a lack of element, but an element in its own right…”   
   
 Semi frowned. “What does that mean?”   
   
 “Well, Life and Death… they are the same thing.”   
   
 “So?”   
   
 “Null… it is the opposite of Death.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Amidst black storm clouds, the airship flew at a curved angle—Its dark wood body was framed by silver mythril. Lightweight and maneuverable, the Silver Eagle was (according to the ship’s captain) the greatest warship in the entire Valentian army. Perhaps the world. The Silver Eagle was second to only one vessel: Though the Gold Eagle had more firepower, the Silver took pride in maneuverability and speed that could not be outmatched.   
     
 It was powered by an arcane core that used raw magic without any element, unlike most ships that ran on thunder and wind. And, unlike most other ships, the airship was not held high by a central balloon-shaped cavity filled with hot air, but by whirling propellers pointed upwards and also using silver flame jets to move itself forward.   
     
 The deck was open, like a boat, and atop the deck—they stood.   
     
 From below, cannon blasts and magic flooded the clouds with ash and fire, while rippling sound waves found their way high and above.   
     
 Paces away from where they stood, the captain of the ship scoffed. “I don’t trust them,” he said simply. “They are broken, hollow shells.”   
     
 Ushijima, with his arms crossed, nodded slowly. “I do not disagree with you, Goshiki… but the Queen has ordered it.”   
     
 Goshiki bit his lip roughly, keeping his head down.   
     
 Ushijima stepped forward, towards them and raised his voice, “Are you ready?”   
     
 The fourteen of them looked back at him. They wore cloaks of a dirty white, with a soft red trim around the hood that covered their heads. They also had designs on their backs, ancient symbols of power, in a deeper red. Their leggings were dark leather, as were their undershirts. They seemed indistinguishable, except for height and the symbols on their backs.   
     
 Kiyoko removed her hood. Goshiki gasped at that. She adjusted her glasses with an arm that had its sleeve tugged down by the action, revealing the ancient symbol for Twelve on her forearm. “At attention.”   
     
 They turned to her.   
     
 “This is our first assignment as a squad,” she spoke with the authority of her past life. “While this gives us the advantage… as our enemies do not know us, we must be cautious. Because our enemies are not the only ones who will know us today—so will our allies. This is a chance for us to prove ourselves, to earn honour, and build trust.”   
     
 Tendou nodded.   
     
 “We are nobodies, and we’ve come from nowhere… Our duty lies forwards, before us.” She paused for a moment. “We are the Fires of Valentia.” She turned towards the bow of the ship, to the burning battlefield below. “The enemy nations have used their armies to create an unjust attack. We thirteen were entrusted to defend these lands.”   
     
 Goshiki frowned.   
     
 Ushijima spoke up, “Fourteen.”   
     
 Kiyoko looked behind her, eyes widening ever so slightly.   
     
 “Fourteen,” Ushijima repeated, “You are fourteen. Not thirteen.”   
     
 “Yes,” Kiyoko murmured, eyes drifting to a certain member.   
     
 All their eyes drifted to a certain member.   
     
 Hidden under his cloak, the boy with orange hair made himself look smaller.   
     
 Kiyoko shook her head slightly, shaking off the startled look. “We will change the battle formation slightly. Sugawara, you will lead the second stealth team.”   
     
 Sugawara blinked. “Me? Not Kageyama?”   
     
 The orange haired boy marked Fourteen glanced to a taller soldier, Kageyama, who seemed upset, but was holding his tongue.   
     
 “Yes,” Kiyoko spoke at last. “Tendou, Semi, and Aone will be moving West. Your squad, Kageyama, Sugawara, and Fourteen, will be moving East. You, Sugawara, will be able to react to our… newest member, with more ease.”   
     
 The orange haired boy tilted his head.   
     
 Kageyama frowned, but nodded slightly. As he did, it seemed to relax Sugawara, who gave a nod as well.   
     
 Kiyoko looked at them all. “The rest of the plan stays the same – we strike for Her Majesty, the Queen of Fire!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Yes,” Kiyoko spoke at last. “Tendou, Semi, and Aone will be moving West. Your squad, Kageyama, Sugawara, and Fourteen, will be moving East. You, Sugawara, will be able to react to our… newest member, with more ease.”   
     
 The orange haired boy tilted his head.   
   
 “Wait.”   
   
 Kiyoko turned to him, mouth moving but no words coming out.   
   
 The sky darkened, as did the hull of the ship.   
   
 “Wait a second,” Semi called out. “You!”   
   
 The boy turned to him. “This… this isn’t how the memory goes.”   
   
 “I know.” Semi shook his head. “But… you!” He reached his hand out to him. “You can save me, can’t you? Will you…? Will you save me?”   
   
 The boy blinked. “Huh…?”   
   
 The hull of the ship tore away, as did the sky and sound.   
   
 Semi was thrown into the blood-red void, and he reached out. “Hinata!” He was being swallowed. “Help me, please… Help me!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Eita!”   
   
 Light.   
   
 “Eita!”   
   
 Warmth.   
   
 “Eita!”   
   
 Life.   
   
 “Eita!” Shirabu yelled, tears in his eyes. A tear fell and hit Semi on the cheek.   
   
 Semi, slowly, opened his eyes.   
   
 “Eita…” Shirabu’s tears didn’t stop. “You’re…”   
   
 Two hands were on his chest.   
   
 Semi glanced to the side.   
   
 Hinata was focused on the wound, sealing it with Death magic.   
   
 Semi blinked. “Wh… what?”   
   
 Hinata’s hands stopped glowing and he pulled them away. “Phew…” His shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes.   
   
 Shirabu hugged Semi tight.   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened. “Kenjirou…”   
   
 Shirabu squeezed him as tight as he could.   
   
 Semi’s lips couldn’t help but tug into a small smile. He knew where he was… The command centre for Rodzina’s main imperial ship… Only moments ago Sakusa’s weapon had dug into his back, able to tear apart the body that Daishou had given him with a single strike. Semi nuzzled Shirabu’s cheek and pressed a soft kiss.   
   
 Shirabu backed away, eyes wide. “Y-You…?”   
   
 “I remember.” Semi nodded slowly. “Everything.”   
   
 Shirabu pressed his forehead to Semi’s shoulder.   
   
 Semi smiled, but his attention turned to Hinata. “How…? When did you get here?”   
   
 “Wha!” Tendou jumped up. He was standing behind Hinata, with an annoyed Oikawa and an eyes-wide Iwaizumi. “He just appeared! Poof! Out of the blue!”   
   
 “It was by magical means,” Oikawa added, “Though not even our Chancellors could explain.”   
   
 “You called me.” Hinata smiled. “You needed my help.”   
   
 “I did.” Semi nodded. “I called you… you came.”   
   
 Hinata nodded twice.   
   
 Shirabu backed away. A suspicious look on his face faded away.   
   
 “I…” Semi stared. “I believed you could save me.”   
   
 “I did. Well, I did my best! Wasn’t sure it was gonna work, but…”   
   
 Semi shook his head. “Our bodies… they were reforged. They were not created by the four elements like they naturally are… but five. We were reforged with Null in our veins, and that is what amplifies our abilities… It’s like, for every element we have inside us, we go up by one power… and that makes a difference.”   
   
 Hinata nodded slowly. “Yeah, but…”   
   
 “But.” Semi turned to him. “The process was done by Death magic… and that’s where you come in.”   
   
 Hinata smiled. “I’m just! Happy I could help! I…”   
   
 “Shouyou,” Shirabu cut in. He kept his head down, eyes down. “Thank you…”   
   
 Tendou laughed. “Little monster man to the rescue!”   
   
 Hinata blushed a bit.   
   
 Semi put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re one of us. I’m sorry if any of us made you feel otherwise, before.”   
   
 Hinata made a small noise and closed his mouth.   
   
 “Ken, help me up.”   
   
 Shirabu did just that.   
   
 Semi turned to Alisa. “Chancellor.”   
   
 Alisa regarded him with a certain apprehension. “You… must have questions.”   
   
 Semi nodded slowly.   
   
 “We will speak later, I promise.” Alisa dipped her head. “But now is not the time.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Kageyama!”   
   
 “Dumbass!”   
   
 Hinata laughed as he tackled Kageyama. The Gold Eagle had picked them up first, and then they had gone to the port town where Ushijima and the others were.   
   
 Kageyama squeezed him tight. “You just! Where did you go!?”   
   
 Hinata backed away. “I… he called me.”   
   
 “What?” Kageyama snapped, “One minute you were at our side, and the next…!”   
   
 “Ah.” Hinata laughed. “Did I worry you?”   
   
 “Tch. Yes!”   
   
 “Don’t worry.” Hinata took his hand. “I’m okay now, and the fight is over. Rodzina isn’t at war anymore.”   
   
 Kageyama took a deep breath. “Yes… There’s still Chhal ahead, but… No, let’s focus on the victory for now.”   
   
 Hinata nodded twice.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 And, paces away from them… Semi took a deep breath.   
   
 Sugawara stepped onto the airship.   
   
 Semi was waiting for him.   
   
 Sugawara approached. “Hi.”   
   
 “Hey.” Semi smiled. “We should talk, some time.”   
   
 “Okay.” Suga smiled as well. “Your memories…”   
   
 “They’re back.”   
   
 “Okay.”   
   
 Semi stood still as he walked on, then turned around. “Wait!”   
   
 Sugawara glanced back.   
   
 “You lied to me,” Semi blurted out, “You lied to me again! Just like when were kids… you pretended you were fine when I was leaving for Rodzina, and you pretended not to know about everything between us when your memories came back.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Suga turned to him. “I lied. So what?”   
   
 Semi frowned, but his face relaxed. “Thank you.”   
   
 Suga blinked.   
   
 “You lied… so it was easier for me.”   
   
 “Well, yeah. That’s the job of the older brother.”   
   
 “Older—”   
   
 “I am older!”   
   
 “By four minutes!”   
   
 Sugawara laughed. “Still, four minutes!” His laugh died and his smile faded. “Anyway, I should—”   
   
 “Koushi.” Semi stepped forward. “We… We were never the brothers we wanted to be, or thought we were when we didn’t have our memories… but we trained for three years, side by side… and we were a good team. We can be again.”  
   
 Suga said nothing for a while, but a smile eventually formed on his lips. “You’re right. We can be again.”   
   
 Semi let him go after that, feeling his heart rise in his throat.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi wove a bandage around the wounded arm, as Kiyoko infused it with healing magic. Yamaguchi had a small hum as he did it. It was a happy tune, and was probably not appropriate for the situation, but it helped him focus so he kind of felt like doing it anyway.   
   
 Kyoutani watched him weave the bandage, and said nothing.   
   
 “You held your own well,” Kiyoko assured. “You provide honour to Woede.”   
   
 Kyoutani scoffed.   
   
 Kiyoko tilted her head.   
   
 Yamaguchi looked up for just a moment. “Those things don’t matter to you?”   
   
 Kyoutani shook his head.   
   
 “Then…” Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. “What does?”   
   
 “Yahaba.”   
   
 “Ah.” Yamaguchi giggled. “Is he your boyfriend?”   
   
 Kyoutani made a guttural sound in his throat. He gave a sideways nod.   
   
 “A royal guard and a ruler,” Kiyoko said, trying to ignore the blush on her cheeks. “Why would you engage in that kind of relationship?”   
   
 Kyoutani just smirked.   
   
 Yamaguchi laughed. “I’m pretty sure you and the Queen of Fire—”   
   
 “Enough,” Kiyoko whispered sharply.   
   
 Yamaguchi laughed louder.   
   
 Kyoutani suddenly darkened, pursing his lips.   
   
 Yamaguchi blinked. “What is it?”   
   
 “We.” Kyoutani grit his teeth. “Gave everything. For power… necessary for the war… but…”   
   
 Kiyoko nodded. “Can we ever go back?”   
   
 Yamaguchi whispered, “To our lives before…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“A royal guard and a ruler,”_  she had said,  _“Why would you engage in that kind of relationship?”_    
   
 Goshiki didn’t mean to overhear the conversation, but he did. He soon found himself sitting between boxes and crates, hugging his knees, head down, and rocking back and forth.   
   
 “Oi, brat.”   
   
 Goshiki yelped.   
   
 Shirabu kicked the wall next to his head.   
   
 Goshiki  _screamed._    
   
 “Eita is looking everywhere for you. Stop running away.”   
   
 Goshiki stammered as he tried to get up. “S-S-Sorry! I!”   
   
 “Look.” Shirabu silenced him with a small movement of his head. “I know what this is about… It’s fine, okay?”   
   
 “F-Fine?”   
   
 “You and Semi.” Shirabu glared. “It’s fine. Semi has often had more than one relationship. That doesn’t bother me.”   
   
 Goshiki just blinked.   
   
 “As long as you’re also okay with it, then it makes no difference to me. Understood?”   
   
 “But Y-Your H-Highne—”   
   
 Shirabu made a sharp noise.   
   
 Goshiki meeped.   
   
 “Just call me Shirabu.”   
   
 “But—”   
   
 “We’re fucking the same guy—just call me by my goddamn name.”   
   
 Goshiki just nodded.   
   
 “Good.” Shirabu backed away. “Now get out there and go kiss and make up.”   
   
 “Y-Yes Sir!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aone had a tightness in his chest. Everyone else was celebrating, happy about their victory… as they should be. He had no ill feeling towards their joy, but he very honestly did not share the sentiment at all. He walked off, to a quiet area on the deck of the ship. He rested his hand on the railing and stared out to the endless expanse of land and sea that would have been breathtaking… if he could have focused on it.   
   
 A few footsteps approached, becoming lighter as they came close.   
   
 Aone didn’t wish to talk to anyone, but he would not reject anyone. Not now.   
   
 Akaashi Keiji walked up to the railing and stared out for a moment before lowering his head. “Are you worried…?”   
   
 Aone said nothing, and tried not to let his face show any emotion.   
   
 “I understand why you’re not with the others…” Akaashi closed his eyes. “Soon, the world will converge on Chhal… your home.”   
   
 Aone took a small breath.   
   
 “It must be hard.” Akaashi glanced over. “I understand if—”   
   
 Aone shook his head.   
   
 Akaashi blinked.   
   
 “Hey hey heyy!”   
   
 Akaashi glanced sidelong.   
   
 Bokuto approached, Kuroo and Kenma in tow. “What’s up? What are you guys chit-chatting about?”   
   
 “He’s being nice,” Kuroo murmured. “We heard the conversation.”   
   
 Akaashi shot them a glare.   
   
 Kuroo just plastered a smile.   
   
 Aone turned to them, but he didn’t look offended. Why would he? They were worried about him, considered him one of their own… He should cherish that, if anything.   
   
 Kuroo glanced to him. “You’re worried about the Rahni… Hinata Natsu.”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 “The Queen won’t hurt her,” Kuroo assured. “Aone… we all feel the same.”   
   
 “Well.” Kenma’s voice was muffled behind his mouth, “We don’t know for sure what the Queen will do to the Rahni…”   
   
 Akaashi shot him a glare.   
   
 “Anything can happen,” Kenma reminded, “When Sakusa’s involved.”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 “Well!” Bokuto put his hands on his hips. “You know what! Regardless of what the Queen or the Chancellors want… I’m not gonna let anyone harm the Rahni of Earth! Aone. I promise you!”   
   
 Aone blinked.   
   
 “I as well,” Akaashi added. “I am willing to deny the orders of my superiors for this.”   
   
 “Hey now.” Kuroo waved his hand. “I don’t know what Queen of Fire you think we have, but… I mean, I agree with the sentiment.”   
   
 “Me too.”   
   
 They glanced to Kenma.   
   
 Kenma glanced away. “I think… the Fires will protect Natsu. Maybe because… she reminds of us Shouyou… or maybe because we’ve seen enough royals backed into corners, and betrayed.”   
   
 Akaashi nodded.   
   
 Aone smiled. He made a small noise.   
   
 Kenma murmured, “You’re welcome…”   
   
 Bokuto looked between them. “Do the silent guys naturally understand each other?”   
   
 Kuroo laughed.   
   
 Akaashi’s lips curled into a smile.   
   
 Kenma seemed annoyed, but Aone had a feeling he too was smiling behind the mask. Aone smiled as well, and his heart felt light.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Satori.”   
   
 Tendou jumped a bit as he turned around.   
   
 “Um.” Commander Ushijima looked away for a short moment. “May I call you that? When we are off-duty, of course.”   
   
 “Uh, sure!” Tendou grinned wide. “What’s up, Wakatoshi! Ah! Wakatoshi is too long! I’m gonna call you ‘Toshi! Huh, why are you blushing!?”   
   
 “No reason.” Ushijima coughed. “You… did not get a chance to speak with Lady Saeko before you left.”   
   
 Tendou made a smile noise. “Ah…” He scratched the back of his head. “It’s not that I couldn’t I just…”   
   
 “The goodbye was difficult?”   
   
 “Mm…”   
   
 “You will see her again,” Ushijima assured. “And she asked me to pass on two messages to you, Satori.”   
   
 Tendou looked up.   
   
 “I am instructed to punch your shoulder like so,” he said as he fist bumped Tendou’s shoulder, “And tell you, when this is over, come back home.”   
   
 Tendou blinked. “Home.”   
   
 Ushijima nodded. “The second message.” He pulled his arm back. “Is that she wanted to say… that she’s proud of you.”   
   
 Tendou’s eyes widened.   
   
 “Satori…?”   
   
 “Ah…”   
   
 “Why are you crying?”   
   
 “J-Just!” Tendou wiped his eye with his wrist. “Just one tear! I just—Don’t worry about it, ‘Toshi!”   
   
 “Are you certain?”   
   
 “Yeah, I’m just! I’m happy.”   
   
 “Good.” Ushijima smiled. “You deserve to be.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tsukishima was at the wheel of the Gold Eagle. He took a deep breath as he murmured, “Look at them… all of them, out on front.”   
   
 “Well.” Yaku smirked. “It is a gorgeous sight.”   
   
 Tsukishima nodded.   
   
 Everyone who didn’t have hands on deck was at the front of the airship, eyes wide. The Royal City of Valentia stretched out before them, as sunset hit the city. The orange roses were in bloom, and the city of fire was brimming with life. At the sight of the Gold Eagle, Valentia released several flares to welcome them.   
   
 Tsukishima watched his hometown, his city, his nation, and smiled. “This… this is what inspired me to fly.”   
   
 The airship came closer, and it was oddly silent. All the chattering stopped, as everyone took in the sight of Valentia.   
   
 Lev stretched and made a loud noise.   
   
 Tsukishima frowned.   
   
 “We’re finally here!” Lev laughed, loud. “I can’t wait for my own bed, my own bath… ahhh… it’s gonna be so nice!”   
   
 Akinori made a small noise of agreement.   
   
 Saruki just laughed.   
   
 Yaku smiled as well. “Yeah. We’re back.”   
   
 Tsukishima nodded. “Valentia.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The fourteen of them, with Ushijima, Goshiki, and Tsukishima, stepped into the throne room.  High ceilings of gold and bronze were different from the white floors, and braziers of fire illuminated their coppery shine, reflecting it everywhere in the halls. The throne itself was made of bronze and gold metals, with two pillars of fire flanking the person who sat on the throne   
   
 Yachi stood as they came closer. Her hands were shaking.   
   
 Kiyoko stepped forward. “Your Majesty, is everything okay…?”   
   
 “Yes!” Yachi’s face burst into a smile. “Yes, I just… I was worried… and scared… I really want to say… It’s been a long journey.”   
   
 Sugawara smiled as Kyoutani nodded.   
   
 “And many things have happened…”   
   
 Tendou smirked, as Shirabu stood still, and Semi let out a small breath of relaxation.   
   
 “We still have a ways to go.”   
   
 Aone silently took in a deep breath.   
   
 “But you’re here now.”   
   
 Kiyoko’s eyes softened, Yamaguchi grinned, as Bokuto and Kuroo shared a look. Akaashi and Kenma did the same.   
   
 “So, for now…”   
   
 Kageyama tensed.   
   
 Hinata tilted his head.   
   
 “For now.” Yachi looked up at them, smile as bright as the rising sun. “Welcome home.” 


	11. Sincerity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to Rainie, one of my closest friends and greatest supports. They're softspoken at times and quiet, but can be passionate and forward when they're excited, and that's kind of how I see Kenma? Anyway, thanks Raisin. 
> 
> Here's Chapter 11, and I officially marked the chapter count out of 14 (bet that was a surprise lololol). 
> 
> Anyway~ enjoy!
> 
> * * *

 Hinata was warm – warm, and safe, and wrapped up in soft silk, and with a pillow that was a bit too boney but he enjoyed the feel of the rise and fall under his head. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t worried about waking up at a certain time or getting ready, or having to double-check equipment. He nuzzled into the other person’s neck, and heard a light noise in response.   
   
 “Morning.”   
   
 “Mmm.” Hinata kept his eyes closed. “Morning, Kageyama.”   
   
 Kageyama moved an arm around him, pulling him closer. He eventually rolled over onto his side, pushing their foreheads together.   
   
 Hinata didn’t really remember last night. He vaguely remembered being in Kageyama’s room after hours, talking about silly things like foods they wanted to eat, places they wanted to go during their vacation. They were still wearing their military uniforms… not the comfiest thing to sleep in, but he remembered they had been too tired to change last night.   
   
 The army would be moving upon Chhal, but—   
   
 But.   
   
 But not yet.   
   
 For now, Hinata moved a bit closer to Kageyama, nuzzling him again.   
   
 “Why are you in my bed?”   
   
 “Bwa.” Hinata smiled. “We just… fell asleep.” He raised his head and opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He saw Kageyama underneath him, looking up at him with rested eyes and messy hair. Hinata couldn’t help but lean down and kiss him, pressing their lips together.   
   
 Kageyama made a slight movement.   
   
 Hinata backed away. “Was that okay?”   
   
 Kageyama nodded.   
   
 Hinata smiled. He moved some of Kageyama’s hair in place and laughed. “Wanna get breakfast?”   
   
 “Mm.” Kageyama closed his eyes for just a moment, taking a breath. “Yeah. Food.”   
   
 They took their time getting ready for the day.   
   
 Eventually they came into the dining hall in the palace of Valentia, large, with tables covered in white cloth. In the centre of the room there were fruit platters and silver trays of cold sliced meats. There were many breads, croissants, as well as bowls of small yogurt cups with strawberries, kiwis, and cereal flakes overtop. To the side, there were two heated containers, one labelled with coffee the other with hot water, for tea.   
   
 Suga was sitting with Kyoutani, as well as Semi and Shirabu. Goshiki also had a plate at the table, but he was standing, excitedly talking about something, to Shirabu’s annoyance.   
   
 Bokuto, Akaashi, Kenma, and Kuroo were together at another table. Bokuto was trying to balance two cups of water on one hand, while Akaashi watched amused, Kuroo tried to get him to stop, and Kenma egged him on. Sitting with them was an excited Lev, an annoyed Yaku, and a Sarukui and Akinori who were having their own conversation.   
   
 Kiyoko and Yamaguchi sat alone at a third table.   
   
 Aone was sitting with Tsukishima, while Ushijima was standing next to the coffee table – face red – as Tendou was whispering something in his ear.   
   
 Hinata and Kageyama stared at the sight before them.   
   
 “Hm.” Kageyama’s eyes softened. “Brings back memories.”   
   
 Hinata nudged him. “Looks like we’re the last to arrive.”   
   
 “Actually,” came another voice, “I think that would be me.”   
   
 Hinata and Kageyama both turned.   
   
 In a thin red dress, Yachi Hitoka approached them with a shy smile on her lips. “Good morning. It seems… I’m not the only one who overslept.”   
   
 “Your Majesty,” came Shirabu’s voice, as he approached, “No one can blame you for needing a few more hours of rest.”  
   
 “Kind words, Your Highness.” She dipped her head to him and smiled. She opened her mouth to say more, but her stomach growled. Her cheeks tinged pink, but soon Kiyoko had offered her a plate with her favourites—a warm croissant and orange rose jam, and a cup of black coffee—and she took it with a nod.   
   
 Hinata laughed a little as Yachi went to join Kiyoko and Yamaguchi’s table, Shirabu joining them as well. It was only right next to them too. Hinata turned to Kageyama and took his hand. “I like this. I want this to happen, again and again.”   
   
 “Hm.” Kageyama’s face wasn’t as bright. “You’re dreaming.”   
   
 “Huh?” Hinata blinked. He hummed for a moment. “I guess you’re right… When the war is over, we won’t be all spending time together anymore… Where will we go?”   
   
 “We have our own lives,” Kageyama murmured. “We go back to them.”   
   
 “Oh.” Hinata blinked. “Where will I go?”   
   
 Kageyama looked at him.   
   
 Yachi, backing out of her seat, stood up and said, “Shouyou…”   
   
 “Um.” He turned to her. “Your Majesty…”   
   
 Yachi swallowed hard.   
   
 “When… When we first started this – you said you spoke to us all, individually, about why we wanted to do this… why we wanted to start. Right?”   
   
 “Yes…”   
   
 “I wasn’t one of them, was I?”   
   
 “I…” Yachi’s eyes dropped to the floor. “No.”   
   
 “I figured.” Hinata unconsciously gripped Kageyama’s hand tighter. “I know I didn’t exist… I don’t have memories to recover. Most of us have our memories now, right? Sure there’s a few that don’t but… bits and pieces. And.” He glanced to the side, pausing.   
   
 Everyone in the room was staring at him.   
   
 Hinata tensed, making a sharp noise.   
   
 Kageyama squeezed his hand. “Shouyou…”   
   
 “A-Ah… Sorry! I didn’t mean it in a bad way, it’s just…” Hinata felt his cheeks burn and he looked away, avoiding eye contact with all of them. “Maybe… Maybe we should do something! To commemorate this… to um… celebrate? The squad!”   
   
 Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “A party…?”   
   
 Yachi moved to stand next to Hinata, facing the rest of them. “We can do that!”   
   
 Kiyoko took in a breath. “Your Majesty, I don’t think it’s appropr—”   
   
 “Today is a day of celebration,” Yachi corrected. “No one is… really celebrating, because… because of the war… I cancelled the parade, but… Celebrations, parades, h-happiness… that’s why we fight, to have those moments… no?”   
   
 “A party!”   
   
 Yachi yelped and turned around.   
   
 Terushima walked in with two peace signs. “We gotta have a party!”   
   
 Yachi dipped her head in respect. “Chancellors…”   
   
 Alisa walked in, leading the three of them.   
   
 Kita hung back a bit, but he seemed to have a rare amused smile on his lips.   
   
 “We gotta have a party.” Terushima put his hands on his hips. “It’s gonna be a birthday party!”   
   
 Hinata cocked his head. “Birthday?”   
   
 “Yeah, Summer Sun.” He smirked. “You were born on the solstice of the light, where the elements are the strongest, and the day is longest. Right?”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “I… was?”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes softened as he glanced to Hinata. “It doesn’t, um. Ring any bells?”   
   
 Hinata shook his head.   
   
 Yachi stepped towards the chancellors. “It’s a great honour to have you here.”   
   
 Kita dipped his head, while Alisa merely said, “We came seeking Daishou.”   
   
 “He is… absent.”   
   
 “Absent.” Alisa tucked some hair behind her ear, eyes unfocused. “And he has been for some time, I take it?”   
   
 Kita merely murmured, “Are you surprised?”   
   
 Terushima crossed his arms.   
   
 “Well.” Alisa returned her gaze to Yachi. “It is the solstice. Valentia’s observatory is considered the greatest place to witness it. Would you honour us, Queen of Fire?”   
   
 “The honour,” Yachi said with a bright smile, “Would be mine.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata and Kageyama ate lots for breakfast, and then walked along the high walls of the palace, looking to the streets below. Hinata was quieter than usual, and he could practically feel Kageyama’s worry radiating off of him. Hinata eventually sighed. “I’m okay with it.”   
   
 “It’s.” Kageyama pursed his lips. He glanced out to the expanse of city around them. “You were born on the solstice of light.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Hinata glanced at him, shrugging. “Apparently.”   
   
 “I’m.” Kageyama avoided eye contact. “I was born on the solstice of darkness… It’s the longest night of the year, where the elements are the weakest.”   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Then! Maybe we can do this for your birthday too!”   
   
 Kageyama scoffed. “That’s exactly six months from now.”   
   
 “Still.” Hinata bounced on his feet. “The war will be over then – we can reunite! Have a reunion party!”   
   
 Kageyama thought about it. “It’s… hard to think, the war will be over…”   
   
 Hinata put his hands behind his back. “What are you going to do? When this is all over?”   
   
 “I’m going back to the orphanage.” His eyes softened. “It’s been a long time but… it’s either return to the life of the orphanage, help out, or return to a life of crime… and the war means more orphans, after all…”   
   
 Hinata shifted and glanced out to the city.   
   
 “You can come too.”   
   
 “H-Huh?”   
   
 “You’re not like us,” Kageyama whispered gently. “I know it used to hurt when I said that… and I used to say it in a cruel way… but… you’re not. You don’t have a place to go… but if you  _want_  a place to come home to – then come with me.”   
   
 Hinata’s eyes widened.   
   
 Kageyama offered his hand.   
   
 Hinata took it, and their fingers intertwined.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The astral observatory was in the highest place in the palace, and it was a place that seemed to defy reality. When they approached the room, it looked like a normal four-walled room; but, when they stepped inside, they stepped inside a  _galaxy._  The walls disappeared, replaced by the cosmos around them. The floor, too, became a void of black littered with stars, though there were white rings emanating from the centre that helped them orient themselves in terms of depth perception.   
   
 They entered in pairs, or groups, and soon enough they were all in attendance.   
   
 They all stood around the central glowing white orb that hovered in the middle of the room.   
   
 Hinata felt Kageyama lean on him a bit, and he smiled.   
   
 Kageyama was looking at the centre of the room, eyes focused. He probably didn’t realise he was leaning on Hinata at all.   
   
 “Hmm.” Kita eyed the device with interest. “It seems Daishou’s inventions are always improving in some way or another…”   
   
 Alisa said nothing, but had a small cat-like smile on her lips.   
   
 Terushima was just looking around aimlessly.   
   
 “At dusk,” Yachi explained, “It will be the longest day. Everyone in the world will witness the skies change and flair, as the elements reorient themselves. It is the time when the elements are the strongest. We won’t be able to see the sky here, but…” She reached out and tapped the glowing white sphere. It rippled. “This is a representation of our planet, born from crystal, and we will be able to watch the whole world as the elements join and become one again.”   
   
 Kita’s eyes narrowed dangerously.   
   
 Hinata noticed it, but said nothing.   
   
 Kageyama tugged his shirt.   
   
 Hinata shifted his ear up to Kageyama, but before Kageyama could speak—   
   
 Semi spoke up, “With this, Daishou could monitor all the elements. Yes?”   
   
 Yachi turned to him and she pursed her lips. “I… can’t confirm, but I suppose that makes sense.”   
   
 “Then.” Semi’s eyes narrowed on the device. “Daishou would have been able to see the element of earth weakening over the past fifteen or so years.”   
   
 Alisa merely added, “In theory.”   
   
 Semi glanced back at her. They shared a long moment of eye contact before he faced forward.   
   
 Both Goshiki and Shirabu gave Semi a questioning look, while Tendou glanced back at Alisa.   
   
 Sugawara bit his lip, then burst into a smile. “Come on! This is a festive time! Cheer up!”   
   
 Bokuto grinned. “Yeah!”   
   
 Kiyoko just sighed, while Yamaguchi giggled.   
   
 “We—Oh!” Akaashi turned forward. “It’s… starting. Earlier than I expected…”   
   
 “Hmm.” Alisa closed her eyes for just a moment. “Yes… it’s begun.”   
   
 In the corners of the room, within the void, streams of red and blue, yellow and green, all wisped together, mixing in the far reaches of space before they swirled and swirled towards the planet.   
   
 “The elements,” Kenma murmured from behind his mask, “They come from… beyond this world?”   
   
 “Yes, and no.” Kita stepped forward. “This world comes from a crystal… these crystals were once floating freely in space, before they turned into a planet. The planet lets the energy go as the years pass, and it returns during the solstice.”   
   
 The colours grew bright as they reached the world, and there was a booming noise as they hit the atmosphere and began to wrap around it.   
   
 Semi tensed.   
   
 Hinata eyed him from a distance.   
   
 Kyoutani stared at the world, eyes wide. “There’s… barely any earth.”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 Yachi blinked a few times as she, too, began to notice it. “The elements… are not in balance.”   
   
 “And,” Kiyoko spoke up, “The element that is strongest right now, is…”   
   
 Kuroo’s hand turned to a fist. “Fire.”   
   
 Hinata continued to watch, until—   
   
  _Light._    
   
 They all watched, eyes wide.   
   
 The elements began to merge and mix, pouring into the planet. They merged together and formed a meridian light that washed over the globe, and the room also changed colour – into a reddish coral colour.   
   
 Hinata looked around, staring.   
   
 “The mixing of all elements,” Yamaguchi pointed out, “Is the basis of all life… it’s…”   
   
 Kageyama murmured, “Death.”   
   
 Alisa nodded slowly. “And to misuse Death, is to pervert all elements, and the balance of all.”   
   
 “The use of Death magic is forbidden,” Kita went on, “Because it destroys the fabric of our world.”   
   
 Hinata stiffened.   
   
 Tendou hummed. “But each of us… we all, you know…”   
   
 “It’s normal,” Alisa explained, “For humans to come in contact with Death. It is a very simple thing to create… but those who have had extended exposures, or a sensitivity to it… are highly monitored by the Chancellors. It is our duty to ensure the fabric of the world stays whole, and stays safe. Otherwise…”   
   
 “Otherwise,” Semi murmured, “An element might go missing… and…” He turned back, staring at Terushima. “A new one might be created.”   
   
 Terushima blinked.   
   
 Kageyama opened his hand, forming a few specks of Null.   
   
 “That means,” Kuroo spoke quietly, “This squad has the power to unravel the world, and tear at its fabrics.”   
   
 “Perhaps…” Alisa put a hand to her chin, eyes softening. “Perhaps you will all even be strong enough to unseat a Chancellor… It is possible that is what Daishou is after, to… remove… Sakusa.”   
   
 “Sakusa,” Bokuto said, “Is our biggest enemy.”   
   
 Semi’s eyes softened.   
   
 “No.” Kita crossed his arms. “You cannot kill or unseat a Chancellor without his or her blessing. Not even Death can change that.”   
   
 Aone made a sour noise.   
   
 Kyoutani nodded.   
   
 Kenma cocked his head, but nodded as well.   
   
 Hinata looked down, at his feet. Though the floor seemed to be glowing at the meridian, he felt… empty.   
   
 Kageyama intertwined his fingers with his.   
   
 Hinata looked up.   
   
 Kageyama’s cheeks were red, and he firmly looked forward and not at Hinata.   
   
 Hinata smiled and squeezed his hand. “Thanks.”   
   
 Kageyama just made a noise. “It was an impulsive idea…”   
   
 “Well, One is the number of Tenacity after all…”   
   
 Kageyama smiled as his hand squeezed Hinata’s a bit tighter.   
   
 Hinata looked forward as well, seeing the globe awash in a mix of a million hues.   
   
 “I want a future, with you at my side,” Kageyama said quietly. “It’s life – it’s what we do after, what we have the freedom to do after – that we go to war for, that we fight for. For our future. And… I want a future with you there, beside me.”   
   
 Hinata felt his cheeks warm and he smiled. “Yeah. I want that too.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The lightshow hit its peak and the flood of colours was beyond anything they had seen before. Amidst those rays of light, Kenma stepped closer to Aone and kept facing forward. “You don’t have to reply but…”   
   
 Aone glanced sidelong at him.   
   
 “What exactly is the future… without a past?” He rubbed his arm awkwardly. “Only a few of us still have no memories… but… do we need to know our past to move forward?”   
   
 Aone shook his head.   
   
 “So.” Kenma cocked his head. “You’ve made up your mind, then… where you’re going, what you’re going to do… after this?”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 “You’re going to live in Chhal?”   
   
 Aone nodded again.   
   
 “Hm.” Kenma smiled behind his mask. “I guess I’ll stay here… it’s a bit predictable, but…” He glanced at Akaashi, Kuroo, and Bokuto. “Predictable is… okay too.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The palace made them a modest dinner. Although they were heroes, and it was a celebratory day, the war had made supplies quite short. Yachi was against stockpiling more food than the palace needed while the rest of the kingdom was hungry, so they could only provide with just enough to fill a plate.   
   
 Kenma walked around after dinner, finding himself weaving through dark hallways, until he was bored of the silence of the night. He moved to return to their homes, their rooms, and paused when he realised he was not alone. He glanced over his shoulder, mask at an odd angle.   
   
 “Kitten.”   
   
 Kenma stiffened a bit, but forced himself to fully turn to the voice.   
   
 Kuroo’s eyes were redder than they should have been as he stepped out into the light. “Tomorrow…”   
   
 Kenma stared.   
   
 “Tomorrow… we go to war, to face Sakusa at Chhal – his seat of power.” Kuroo swallowed hard. “I know… I know you don’t remember us… or what we had… or even me, but…”   
   
 Kenma eyed him.   
   
 “Will you spend… tonight, next to me?”   
   
 “Eh.”   
   
 “I-I…” Kuroo looked away, eyes crinkling as he let out a soft breath. “I just want you to be close to me… It’s war tomorrow… This could be it. This is the most dangerous thing we’ve done as a squad and, if something were to happen… and I haven’t even felt your head tucked into my neck while we slept…”   
   
 “Hm.” Kenma glanced away for a bit. “Maybe.”   
   
 Kuroo looked up, eyes wide. “M-Maybe?”   
   
 “If… you get me breakfast, in the morning.”   
   
 “A-Ah…” Kuroo let out a long, drawn-out noise as he put a hand on his forehead. “Some things never change, neh?”   
   
 Kenma stiffened. “What about… Bokuto and ‘kaashi?”   
   
 “Well, they’re already asleep. They’re hardly the romantic ones in our relationship, unlike us.”   
   
 “Just you.”   
   
 “Well, yeah… but despite them liking owls more – we’re the night owls of our little group.” Kuroo stepped closer, offering his hand. “We always stayed up late together, had that between us.”   
   
 Kenma stared at the hand.   
   
 “A-Ah… is this… weird?”   
   
 “A bit.” Kenma took the hand. “I have no memory of you… but… I don’t think you’re lying.”   
   
 “So you’ll sleep next to me?”   
   
 “If you get me breakfast.”   
   
 “I will.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The truth was Kenma had only agreed in a bare hope to conjure some kind of memory. He felt Kuroo’s arm hooked around his waist, Kuroo’s chest against his back… It was warm, but…   
   
  _Nothing,_  Kenma realised,  _I feel nothing…_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“What are you doing?” The girl put her hands on her hips, huffing angrily. “You shouldn’t let them push you around like that!” Her gaze, though fierce, was not unkind. “You gotta stand up for yourself…”  
   
 He stiffened at her words.   
   
 “Come on.” She offered her hand. “I’ll help you be strong, so no one pushes you around, Aone.”_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aone woke up to bright sunlight hitting his bed. He stayed still for a moment, eyes wide despite them burning in the morning’s light, before he closed his eyes and put a hand to his head. He sat up in his bed and craned over, bending his knees and lowering his head.   
   
 A memory…   
   
 Not the first time he had seen it; and, yet, it felt new each and every time.   
   
 Like an arrow piercing his skull.   
   
 Aone took a deep breath and looked out the window. It was still early… but he decided he needed to get ready anyway. The airships would begin their assault on Chhal soon… on his home. He had vague memories of not having family, no brother, no sister… no mother, no father… but—   
   
 But he remembered…   
   
 He had friends.   
   
 He had people that mattered to him, people who depended on him, he had—   
   
 That girl, with the orange hair… Rahni of Chhal, Hinata Natsu.   
   
 But… why?   
   
 Aone frowned, hand trying to fist the short strands of his hair. Why? Who was she? Why did it matter? His memories were still a blur, still a pained blotch of ink covering the most important word.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Fires of Valentia boarded the Gold Eagle, with the Queen of Fire. Their first destination was the Great Tree, City of Wind, Woede. They stood under the statue of the Warrior of Light and stared up at it.   
   
 Quietly, Alisa moved through the Fires and placed a hand on Hinata’s shoulder, a soft silvery glow hovering at the touch.   
   
 “Huh?”   
   
 Alisa moved her hand away and smiled, an honest and soft smile. “Nothing, little one.”   
   
 Hinata tilted his ead.   
   
 “My army will be ready to depart within the hour,” Yahaba said, closer to the front of the crowd. “Everything on this end is moving according to schedule. Our armies will move as one upon Chhal.”   
   
 “Good.” Yachi’s eyes softened, her gaze never leaving the statue. “I’ve gotten word that the Tenno of Nuru and the Emperor of Rodzina have also merged their armies. They will arrive at the landing point at the estimated time. The four of us will strike as one.”   
   
 Hinata stared up at the statue.   
   
 “Stabbed in the back, left to die…” Yachi closed her eyes. “In the end, he fell…”   
   
 “Sakusa,” Semi spoke up. “Sakusa said that the Warrior of Light was like his own family – he loved him as his own.” He glanced around. “It’s said, even after a thousand years, he still feels the pain of that loss.”   
   
 “Yes.” Alisa nodded slowly. “He loved him like a son… I remember him, only briefly, eyes of wonder staring up at me… In a sense, I believe Sakusa felt a kinship with him. At the end of the day, both the Warrior and Sakusa were orphans who rose up to keep peace, and forge unions…”   
   
 “And both were betrayed,” Kita murmured. “The human, by humans… the Chancellor, by the crystals…”   
   
 Yahaba turned to the three of them. “Chancellors… tell us, about Sakusa.”   
   
 Alisa took a long breath. “It is important to know that our mission will not be to liberate Chhal, nor is the Rahni any concern of ours.”   
   
 Kita nodded. “Our goal is to stop Sakusa. We must not let him escape, at any cost. What he once was means nothing – what he is now, and what he has become… it must be stopped.”   
   
 Alisa closed her eyes, dipping her head. “Have we failed… Shinsuke?”   
   
 Kita’s eyes softened impossibly, and he also turned away. “I don’t know… Why is Daishou not here now, when we most need him?” His hands trembled before they balled into fists. “Is this the right thing to do?”   
   
 “We can’t know,” Alisa whispered in reply, “But if we leave it as is… we are all done for.”   
   
 “But.” Kita turned to her. “Sakusa has not shattered the crystal, yet… surely… that means something?”   
   
 “Crystal?” Hinata stared at them. “What crystal?”   
   
 “This world…” Alisa regained her composure and forced a fake smile. “It was born from crystal shards, and it was from those shards that the elements and magic began. From Twelve and One.”   
   
 Yamaguchi blinked. “One?”   
   
 “Unity.” Alisa used her finger to draw the ancient symbol. “It is the pillar that brings all the rest together. Unity… it is the thirteenth pillar, and it is what made us Chancellors. If Unity were to be extinguished, then the world would end. Immediately.”   
   
 Hinata stiffened, and Yamaguchi sputtered.   
   
 Kita glanced over. “Do you think…?”   
   
 “Yes.” Alisa nodded. “I will be joining Rodzina in battle. If you see Daishou… give him my regards. Terushima?”   
   
 “U-Uh, yeah?”   
   
 “We’re leaving.”   
   
 Terushima gave a silly little salute. “Alright! Let’s get this party started!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Chhal was an island nation, but a very low and flat one, covered in scorching desert sands. With Woede’s army clearing the skies, and Rodzina’s clearing the seas… the armies of the world came crashing together upon the sorrowed sandy shores of Chhal.   
   
 The route of attack was decided by Yachi.   
   
 Although arduous, she chose a long route that would leave the cities and towns of Chhal untouched as the four nations marched towards its capital.   
   
 The capital city of Chhal was a single mage tower that rose to an impressive height. It was made of stone and completely impenetrable from the outside, save for the main gate. Chhal, whose society revolved around magic, had magi who used the secrets of the earth as a perfect defense.   
   
 The army of Chhal, now twisted with Death and overflowing with beasts, met their opposing army upon the sands, and the yellow sands quickly turned red.   
   
 “We must break through their army!” Yachi commanded atop the Gold Eagle. “We will send a Commando unit ahead to forge a path!”   
   
 Kiyoko pulled her bow. “Shall the Fires of Valentia be your unit, Your Majesty?”   
   
 “Yes.” Yachi pulled a massive war fan from her back and opened it up. “Sky Captain Tsukishima, Sky Captain Goshiki – you two are to remain on board and keep in communication with me.”   
   
 “You.” Tsukishima stared at her. “Wait!”   
   
 Ushijima merely approached. “Shall I join you, Your Majesty?”   
   
 “No.” Yachi stepped forward. “You will be commanding our army, as I will be unable to do so.”   
   
 “So then…” Ushijima eyed her. “You truly wish to…?”   
   
 “Yes.” Yachi nodded. “I too must fight!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Gold Eagle dropped the Fires down to the sands below, and they charged into the sands – cleaving the way forward. Kageyama’s cords snapped with more power than ever, while Akaashi’s lance speared scores of beasts. Kyoutani provided his shield for the incoming strikes, while Kuroo sniped the enemy mages from afar. Bokuto took point, trailing a line in the sand with his massive blade.   
   
 The twins, Suga and Semi, danced between enemy lines, throwing daggers and knives into their crowds.   
   
 Semi’s eyes narrowed. This was easy… too easy.   
   
 Tendou blurred out of shadow and sliced the enemy captain, causing several Chhal soldiers to yell retreat.   
   
 Shirabu let the enemy soldiers retreat, but summoned a sphere of pure gravity to prevent those wretched beasts from continuing their existence.   
   
 Kiyoko fired another shot. “Advance!”   
   
 Yamaguchi dipped past Bokuto and pierced a winged sabretooth, causing it to burst open.   
   
 Hinata was also running, but stopped.   
   
 Kageyama glanced at him. “What is it?”   
   
 Hinata looked around. “This is…”   
   
 A hole wrenched open in front of them, and red-black fluid swirled.   
   
 The air sizzled and then froze. All the whips of sand that were knocked airborne suddenly stood still.   
   
 Hinata looked back.   
   
 The soldiers of Valentia were frozen mid-step.   
   
 “Time,” Semi realised. “He froze time…”   
   
 Kenma’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 A clock swirled overhead and the hands spun in a maddening rhythm, making loud clanks.   
   
 “Sakusa…” Hinata realised, “He’s pouring everything he has into this! Your Majesty—”   
   
 But Yachi Hitoka was also frozen.   
   
 “Only we are unaffected?” Kiyoko glanced up. “Then!” She pulled another arrow. “We fight!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“What are you doing?” The girl put her hands on her hips, huffing angrily. “You shouldn’t let them push you around like that!” Her gaze, though fierce, was not unkind. “You gotta stand up for yourself…”  
   
 He stiffened at her words.   
   
 “Come on.” She offered her hand. “I’ll help you be strong, so no one pushes you around, Aone.”_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The clock itself was only one issue. The crystal of the planet had snapped – more than one – and they were merged together to form a beast that screamed from the improper fusion. Turtle shell was grafted into lions fur, which in turn eventually shifted into the tough hide of a basilisk, and protruding bones. It gave off a thick sour smell, as if it was rotting, already dead.   
   
 It howled.   
   
 It dropped down on the desert, shooting sand upwards and letting it hang there.   
   
 Kenma was dancing through the ranks of the other Fires. He summoned several weapons at once, letting them hang in the air before he grabbed them and tried to use them. He backed away. “I can’t get close…”   
   
 The chimera slammed into several of them, sending them flying.   
   
 Shirabu barely dodged and he used his whip blade to draw arcane sigils in the space in front of him. He thrust his other hand forward and shot a blast of gravity.   
   
 But the Chimera’s molted and fused flesh seemed impervious.   
   
 Kiyoko fired another arrow, watching it snap in half on contact.   
   
 Even Hinata’s scythe was barely scratching it.   
   
 The chimera lifted a lion’s paw and smashed Hinata into the sand. It kept its paw down, pinning Hinata, and crushing him.   
   
 Hinata screamed.   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes widened. “Shouyou!” He ran forward, surging the power of null inside him before he blasted it outwards.   
   
 It bounced off the chimera.   
   
 The chimera turned its warped head and its basilisk eyes widened, and—   
   
 Semi wanted to shout a warning but—   
   
 Stone.   
   
 Kageyama turned to stone.   
   
 Hinata’s eyes were wide. He wanted to scream, but the paw was still crushing him.   
   
 “Nothing we do…” Kuroo’s hands were shaking. Still, he raised his firearm and released a high impact exploding round.  
   
 Nothing.   
   
 The chimera’s body shook and two wings broke out of its flesh, pouring rotten blood into the sand. It expanded them and stretched, trembling, before it pulled back and swept forward, sending a surge of wind.   
   
 Kyoutani and Sugawara both yelled as they were thrown several meters back from the force.   
   
 The chimera’s eyes glimmered with light—both Tendou and Akaashi turned to stone.   
   
 “Keiji!” Bokuto looked back.   
   
 A tail whipped Bokuto aside.   
   
 The chimera howled again, blurring the air and shaking the ground with the force of its scream. Its limbs leaked with its own blood, but it was not enough to truly hurt the beast. None of the blood had been from the Fire’s attacks, just its own disfiguration. However, the longer it fought, the more coordinated it seemed to be, as if getting used to its mishmash form. It raised its paw on Hinata, seeing him barely alive, and lowered it quickly to give the final blow—   
   
 “Nine.”   
   
 The chimera screamed, pulling back.   
   
 “The number of loyalty.”   
   
 Vile ichor swirled around the chimera, and it stomped to get away, but it washed over its flesh with a loud stinging sound.   
   
 “Nine, it’s the very end.” Semi stepped forward. “It’s the largest number in a single digit.”   
   
 The acid and poison began to glow a light green, as if it was being infused by magic.   
   
 “It’s all you can be, the maximum, the end.” Semi’s eyes narrowed. “Loyalty, in all of its forms. Loyalty to those you love, loyalty to those who have protected you, loyalty to whom you serve, and…” Semi swiped his hand, creating hundreds of floating daggers around him. “Loyalty to yourself.”   
   
 The daggers flew forward.   
   
 “To be who you want to be.”   
   
 They pierced the beast, moving in circles.   
   
 “To be the best version of you that you can be.”   
   
 The acid weakened the impenetrable hide, and the daggers began carving it out.   
   
 Semi formed a concentrated sphere of ichor and it gave off an eerie green light. “Nine!” He raised the sphere overhead. “The number of loyalty!” He threw it forward, watching as the bomb  _burst_.   
   
 The chimera released the scream of a thousand dying suns. Its mishmash skin had been burned and charred away, revealing a fleshy crystal-like skin underneath. It charged Semi.   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened.   
   
 It slammed into him, sending him flying. It opened its broken jaw and gathered pure Death in an orb before releasing it as a beam.   
   
 Semi barely landed when he saw the beam charging right for him.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“I’ll help you be strong, so no one pushes you around.”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Ten.”   
   
 Semi glanced to the side.   
   
 “The number of wisdom… to grow beyond a single digit, to create a number with two.”   
   
 Semi could see the beam coming, but his eyes were fixed on the person who had moved in front of him, to protect him.   
   
 “The vow of silence ends!” Aone roared as he swirled his quarterstaff overhead. “Ten, a complete set!”   
   
 The sands picked up like a whirlwind around them, and the beam dissolved into the storm from the sheer speed.   
   
  _“You shouldn’t let them push you around like that!”_    
   
  _No,_  Aone agreed,  _I must be more. I cannot be a silent wall… I must make myself known… Here, and now._    
   
 The whirlwind of sand disappeared.   
   
 Aone surged forward, creating a trail of sand behind him as he swirled his quarterstaff and  _slammed_  hard, shaking the earth beneath them. He hit the crystal ribs of the beast, hearing glassy crunches. “You will not have Chhal! You will rule it no longer!”   
   
 Semi dove under his arm, shattering the crunched crystal with his dagger. “This is our world!”   
   
 Sand and acid swirled into its wounds, chipping the chimera from the inside out.   
   
 Aone jumped back and grunted. “You will not have it.”   
   
 Semi landed by his side, nodding firmly.   
   
 The chimera spasmed before  _shattering._    
   
 The clock in the air shimmered before it blurred away.   
   
 Time was restored.   
   
 Kageyama suddenly breathed, no longer stone.   
   
 Semi and Aone glanced at each other, giving firm nods. Semi cocked his head to the magical spire ahead. “The Tower of Rahni is ahead of us… You should be the one to lead the way.”   
   
 Aone eyed the place that was once home. How could he have forgotten…? He had run those halls since he was a child. He tossed his quarterstaff into his non-dominant hand. “It is best I do… The inside of that tower is not what it seems. Many magics are at work.”   
   
 Footsteps came from behind.   
   
 Yachi Hitoka had her war fan unfurled. “The Emperor and the Tenno are already inside. They await us before beginning the full assault. You’ve done well to cut us a path, and I ask you to continue.”   
   
 Aone nodded.   
   
 Kiyoko moved through the lines. “Your Majesty—is it… Is it wise, for you to be here?”   
   
 Yachi couldn’t help but smile, a small, innocent, girlish little smile. “I have you to protect me, don’t I?”   
   
 Kiyoko sputtered.   
   
 Semi snorted, but turned back to Aone. “Let’s go.”   
   
 Aone smiled. “Yes, let’s go – to save Chhal!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The Tower of the Rahni was, in every sense, the greatest human invention of magic ever formed. By arcana and science, the inside of the mage tower was  _massive._  Entire  _cities_  existed within the slender frame, hidden by the bulwarks of ley lines, connected, and restructured. Space was augmented here, and each path seemed to converge and diverge endlessly.   
   
 Bokuto ran only a step behind Aone. “You know where we’re going, big guy?”   
   
 “Yes.” Aone swatted two beasts aside with his quarterstaff without blinking. “I know every nook and cranny of this tower.”   
   
 Bokuto whistled. “Seriously!?”   
   
 “Mmm… I was a royal guard, to Lady Natsu… she…” Aone couldn’t help but smile. “She was always a handful, escaping, moving around, going wherever she wished… Her parents, who had taken me in from a young age, could not stop her and thus asked me simply to be with her. I promised to be with her. To protect her. I was never away from her.”  
   
 “But.” Kenma kept his expression hidden behind the mask. “You are here now…”   
   
 “Yes. Because  _this, too_  is what I must do to protect her.” Aone began to slow down as a flood of canine beasts began running towards them, out of a tunnel. He came to a stop. “Sakusa would never lay a finger on her, he loves her like his own child, but…”   
   
 “Aone.”   
   
 Aone’s chest tightened.   
   
 Turning the corner nonchalantly, as if taking a leisurely stroll, Sakusa came into view, surrounded by the pack of wild beasts running past him. He hummed. “The Rahni has asked that I protect you.” His leisurely pace and bored expression never faltered, even as he walked directly towards them.   
   
 The beasts ignored Aone, going for the others, leaping at their throats, and leaving Aone able to stare Sakusa down .   
   
 “She asked I protect you, since you know not what it is you do.” Sakusa’s eyes narrowed and he lowered his chin slightly. “It seems you do now, though.”   
   
 A war fan sliced through a beast and Yachi stood at Aone’s side. “Chancellor Sakusa!” She held her battle stance. “You—”   
   
 “Silence!” Sakusa growled. “You who work with that traitorous Chancellor of Fire have no place schooling me!”   
   
 Yachi faltered, only for a moment, before her grip tightened on her weapon.   
   
 “All of you,” Sakusa murmured, “You’ve all come I see.”   
   
 Emperor Oikawa Tooru weaved waters around him from the glowing blue orbs on his shoulder pads. His gaze hardened on Sakusa.   
   
 High Thane Yahaba Shigeru had a whirling green serpent encircling him defensively. He whispered something, and the serpent flared in size.   
   
 Tenno Azumane Asahi held a runic blade that shimmered a powerful dark grey light. His fluttering white kimono was padded with iron and steel, and his eyes held a glow of raw magic.   
   
 “You have defeated time, well done…” Sakusa offered a hand, ignoring the swarm of canines running past his legs. “But can you defeat space?” He snapped his fingers, and purple lines traced the ceiling, floors, and the walls. “Come! Whatever left you have to offer me, Crystal of Life, give it to me now!”   
   
 Hinata gawked. “We have to—”   
   
 A purple portal ripped open behind him, and unleashed a flood of screams.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Stones stood floating in a light sunset void. There was no time here, no space, nothing… the canine beasts had been twisted and ruptured, black blood turning into hovering droplets that extended to the far cosmos. A single being existed in the centre, a serpent dragon whose length was too vast to be understood. It coiled in on itself and hummed, closing its eyes. When it spoke, it spoke into minds, its gentle, deep, and soothing voice becoming an orchestra to send them to eternal sleep.   
   
  _Nothing can help you now…_    
   
 Sakusa had long since disappeared from this place.   
   
  _Be lost in darkness…_    
   
 Kageyama’s body was floating amidst rubble, as was Akaashi’s, which seemed twisted and torn…   
   
  _You are drifting… and broken… The darkness, it swallows all._    
   
 Bokuto and Kuroo hovered in place, amidst torn shreds of cloth and shards of glass…   
   
  _It is already over… Your bonds cannot save you…_    
   
 Semi and Sugawara had been reaching for each other before their minds gave into the deep dark; now, they simply hung in this empty void…   
   
  _You have failed those who needed you._    
   
 Kiyoko’s wounds had burst open, and her craned body was surrounded by droplets of red blood…   
   
  _From Death, you have gained power—but it is we! We who hold dominion over Death!_    
   
 Tendou’s eyes were closed, now and forever. Hinata’s clothes rustled, but his body was unmoving…   
   
  _Your purpose… is nothing now. Give in… to the dark._    
   
 Yamaguchi had let go of his weapon, let go of his reasons to keep holding it…   
   
  _You and your kingdoms will eventually be dust, so give in…_    
   
 Shirabu and Yachi’s faces were blank, as if they no longer had concerns…   
   
  _When the space between every molecule expands, the darkness comes in… it drives you deeper… it snuffs you out… Allow it._    
   
 Oikawa had managed to hold on to Iwaizumi, moments ago, but now he had let go and they were drifting apart.   
   
  _Your magics… they fail you when you most need it… and you, have also failed…_    
   
 Asahi’s grip on his blade didn’t falter, but with each moment… the grip loosened, little by little… His guard, Daichi, also drifted in the sunset light, finding peace…   
   
  _You have failed… and now, it is time to come home… from the dark sleep we arise and awaken… and to the dark sleep we return… You… are all, nothing. You are—_    
   
 Light slammed into the beast.   
   
  _Gah!_  It craned its head upwards. It scanned the eternal void and eventually found who it had been.  _You…?_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kenma landed on a chunk of rock that had once been a walkway, weapons hovering around him. “Enough…” Behind his mask, Kenma’s forehead scrunched up with many lines. “You blabber your words on, echoing our demons… you try to break who we are…” Kenma faced the serpent dragon, larger than a god, and let out a sigh. “I’ve already faced my demons… Your voice is nothing compared to what my mind will whisper to me.”   
   
  _Truly?_    
   
 The words rattled Kenma’s skull.   
   
 He let them.   
   
  _You…? You, you who are no one… you are the least of them all. Each of your weapons is merely an illusion, a fake, a mimicry of someone who was real. Fake… as you are._    
   
 Kenma glanced to the blade hovering at his side. It was Shirabu’s whip-blade. It was not his, but also technically not Shirabu’s: It was just a copycat.   
   
 An imitation.   
   
  _You are a fake. You have no person inside you… you are no person. You watch others, and try to mimic their actions. You never believed in yourself… though you know that your species is one that requires others to exist. You, out of everyone, know what that means: It means, without the skills to deal with people, you are less than dust—you are already dead._    
   
 Kenma dipped his head. “True.”   
   
  _All you can do is copy others, and mirror their actions… you will never understand them. You… you are no one._    
   
 Kenma nodded.   
   
  _You are just a broken mix of the people you have come across… and it eats away inside you. You are nothing. You have failed those who needed you._    
   
 Kenma’s eyes lingered on Akaashi’s lance, on Kuroo’s firearm, and Bokuto’s greatsword.   
   
  _You can never be what you want._    
   
 The darkness swirled around Kenma, grabbing his ankles and wrists.   
   
  _You can never be—_    
   
 “Enough.”   
   
 A flash of light.   
   
 Kenma swiped his arm to the side and fought back the urge to growl. “How many times do I have to hear this…? I am what I am.” He stepped forward, towards the edge of the broken walkway. “I am what I am,” he repeated, “No more, no less.”   
   
 The darkness shot from every corner of the void.   
   
  _You dare!? You are just a broken mishmash of a person!_    
   
 Kenma walked off the walkway, plummeting down into the void, and dodging the spears of darkness in the process. Kenma twisted midair; and, soon, he shot upwards. He grabbed Shirabu’s whip-blade and thrashed at the serpent’s body before back flipping. He grabbed Kiyoko’s bow and arrow, firing a charged shot, before switching to Sugawara and Semi’s knives, shooting them forward.   
   
 The beast recoiled and grunted.   
   
 “You speak too much.” Kenma surged downwards to dodge more shots of darkness. “You say I’m a failure! That I’m broken!” He shot back up and unleashed a stream of weapons, tearing chunks of flesh out of the long tail. “Do I look broken to you!?”   
   
 Another flash of light.   
   
 The serpent was thrown back.   
   
 Kenma’s hands glowed with radiant gold light, and the weapons around him began to shimmer with the same power. “Eleven.” His glowing right hand reached for his face. “In the deck of cards—” He pulled the—”The mask comes off!” He tossed it aside, not watching as it flung to the bottom. “Eleven! In the deck of cards—!”   
   
 The bottom tip of the mask hit the bottom of the void, sending cracks up its porcelain frame before it shattered.   
   
 “Jack!” Kenma spun wildly. “Jack of all trades!” He summoned scores of weapons. “A master of none!” He surged forward after the beast. “But oftentimes better—” He launched the volley of radiant weapons. “Than a master of one!”   
   
 The serpent was impaled and torn open in several places, blood and chunks of flesh scattering in every direction.   
   
 “I know I have my weaknesses.” Kenma landed on what looked like a stained glass window that was floating horizontal. He kept his head low, hair covering his eyes. “But I learn from others… A broken mix? Maybe… Maybe that’s what I am, but what’s wrong with that…?” He stood up, to his full height, eyes shining radiant gold. “I am what I am, and that is someone who has learned from others.”   
   
 Light.   
   
 It spun around Kenma and he wove his hands upwards to concentrate the sheer power. “I have no regrets!” Kenma brought his hands down, summoning a column of light that swallowed the serpent beast. “Eleven… the number of sincerity…” Kenma smirked. “It’s who I am.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes widened and he took in a heavy gasp of air. He heard the others also coming back in the same way and he looked around, seeing the mage tower as one again. He turned around and examined the situation.   
   
 Yachi stood up. “Where… What just happened?”   
   
 “The path,” murmured Kenma, who was glancing away, “Is open.”   
   
 Yachi made a small noise.   
   
 “Go on ahead, please.”   
   
 Yachi didn’t question it. “With me!” She ran up the steps, and the rest of them followed.   
   
 Except four of them.   
   
 Bokuto’s eyes stared at Kenma’s back, while Akaashi stood at his side.   
   
 Kuroo took in a deep breath. “Kitten…?”   
   
 Kenma’s shoulders shook once, but he turned around and faced them.   
   
 They all shifted.   
   
 Kenma blinked. “What…?”   
   
 “It’s uh…” Bokuto’s cheeks were red. “I forgot how  _cute_  you looked.”   
   
 Kenma went to adjust his mask, but saw it was gone. His hand hovered in the air awkwardly for a moment, but he brought it down. “Perhaps it’s for the best…”   
   
 The mage tower was silent except for the quiet hum of whirring magical lines underneath the tiles.   
   
 Akaashi’s eyes softened. “What is it?”   
   
 There was a distant sound, like an old wooden clock tower ticking.   
   
 Kenma looked at them. “Without my memories… I had felt, nothing… We, us, this… it didn’t matter to me. I…” He looked down. “I expected to remember warm feelings… it, well, made sense… but I didn’t expect to remember being… so… afraid.”   
   
 Kuroo frowned. “Afraid… of us?”   
   
 “No.” Kenma shook his head. “Of this unit… I was loved, once… I was afraid, if we never regained our memories… There were no promises we would remember… and I… I didn’t know if I would be loved again.”   
   
 Bokuto stepped forward. “Kitten, I—”   
   
 Kuroo tugged his arm.   
   
 “I’m not… I’ve never been good… at… people.” Kenma smiled softly, eyes to the floor. “But I found something, not one but… three… three people, who I could call mine… It was, beyond… what I ever thought I could have. I was scared of the Fires, of the experiments… it’s why I took so long to join. Unlike you all, who joined early, I was number Eleven… only after the Queen had ventured to all four kingdoms did she return to recruiting ones from Valentia…”   
   
 Akaashi wanted to reach for him, but stopped himself.   
   
 “But… maybe that’s for the best.” Kenma nodded. “I wasn’t ready, but eventually I was. And now… I remember.”   
   
 Akaashi couldn’t help it; he walked over, wrapping his arms around Kenma. “Kitten.”   
   
 Kenma countered with, “Owlet.”   
   
 Akaashi’s cheeks  _burned._    
   
 Kuroo laughed, and Bokuto started laughing as well.   
   
 Even Akaashi made an amused noise.   
   
 Kenma smiled as he nuzzled into Akaashi’s chest. He eventually pulled away. “Now.” He looked at each of them. “I have remembered… but what good is that, without a future with you all at my side…?” He nodded once. “We have a future to fight for. So… let’s go.”   
   
 Kuroo smirked. “Yeah! The four of us.”   
   
 “Well.” Bokuto smirked. “Lead the way, Captain.” He smacked Kuroo’s ass.   
   
 “Highly unprofessional,” Akaashi murmured.   
   
 “I can give you one too, Keiji!”   
   
 Kenma sneered. “After the mission, I hope.”   
   
 Kuroo just laughed. “Alright! Come on.” He began running forward, Bokuto and Akaashi following, with Kenma in tow.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Aone was at the top of the mage tower. Before him stood two massive doors that led to the throne room. He took a deep breath and stood in a hidden magic circle in front of the doors.   
   
 “It’s locked,” Oikawa murmured. “Can we break through?”   
   
 “Uh, Ten.” Iwaizumi glanced at Aone. “Can you do something about this?”   
   
 Aone nodded. “Give me space.” He strung his quarterstaff on his back and took a deep breath. Sands swirled around him and he threw his hands forward. A beam of raw yellow energy flooded the double doors and began activating the runes upon them. “Ngh…”   
   
 Kyoutani growled. “Earth… weaker than it used to be… Going to take more… to open it.”   
   
 “Well.” Sugawara glanced at him. “You’re earth-elemental now, go help him.”   
   
 Kyoutani growled again. “Not… a mage.”   
   
 “I…” Aone felt a bead of sweat pour down his temple. “Can’t do this alone…”   
   
 Two swirls of sand erupted next to him, flanking him on each side, and two more people began to channel raw yellow energy into the door.   
   
 Aone stared at them in shock.   
   
 Yachi, too, had eyes wide.   
   
 “We raised you like our own,” said the spirit of the previous Rahni, Natsu’s father, “You are not alone here, Takanobu.”   
   
 “The distance between the living and the dead is smaller than ever,” said Natsu’s mother, “We cannot do much… but we  _can_  do this! Save Chhal, Aone… save Natsu.”   
   
 Aone forced more energy into his beam and nodded. “I will. I promise!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The double doors swung open, hitting the walls with enough force to shake the room. The throne room of the Rahni was a long, narrow corridor. It was flanked, on both sides, by massive statues, of the former Rahnis. The four royals, and the Fires of Valentia, stepped in as one.   
   
 At the far end of the room, several royal guards were shaking.   
   
 Sakusa stood dead centre, calm. Behind him, Natsu was clutching onto him. Sakusa moved his hand slightly, protecting her. “Well, the entourage is here… Shall we bid you all welcome? Your Majesties, Queen Yachi Hitoka, High Thane Yahaba Shigeru. Your Honour, Tenno Azumane Asahi. Your Highnesses, Prince Oikawa and Prince Shirabu… or is it Emperor now?”   
   
 Oikawa grit his teeth. “Emperor.”   
   
 “My mistake, Your Majesty.” Sakusa’s eyes drifted away from them. “And it seems we have more just joining us now. Chancellor of Wind, Kita Shinsuke. Chancellor of Water, Haiba Alisa. Chancellor of Null, Terushima Yuuji.” Sakusa rolled his shoulder. “It seems all we’re missing is the psychotic freak who forged these fourteen disgraces from blood and sin.”   
   
 Hinata winced.   
   
 “Now, you all storm brazenly, into  _my_  domain.” Sakusa snapped his fingers. “Soldiers!”   
   
 They all lifted their weapons.   
   
 “Wait!” Natsu cried out. “Sakusa!”   
   
 Hinata glanced at Yachi, who nodded.   
   
 Yachi stepped forward. Kiyoko tried to follow her, but she moved her hand to stop her. She took a few steps down the royal gold carpet towards them. “You have heard the cries of your Rahni. She is not our enemy—I hereby vow upon my crown and throne, no harm will come to her.”   
   
 The soldiers faltered.   
   
 “Our battle is with the Chancellor of Earth, Sakusa Kiyoomi, for instigating a war between nations. In the Battle of Rodzina, we gave your army safe passage home. In the march we took today, we took a path that would not harm your cities and villages. The Rahni is not our enemy!”   
   
 The soldiers looked at each other, clearly unsure.   
   
 Aone stepped forward, passing Yachi.   
   
 “T-Takanobu!?”   
   
 “Natsu.” Aone stared into her eyes. “Call your soldiers back.”   
   
 Natsu’s eyes widened.   
   
 “You, not Sakusa, are the ruler of Chhal.” Aone nodded slowly. “You alone command them.”   
   
 Sakusa merely murmured, “Natsu…”   
   
 Natsu clutched onto his robe but lowered her head. “S-Soldiers.” She bit her lip. “Stand back.”   
   
 Sakusa sighed. “Fine.” He, gently, pushed her away. “I go alone.”   
   
 “No!” Natsu reached for him. “I need you too! I… if you go… you’ll die…”   
   
 “Natsu, I’ll live. I am certain of it.”   
   
 “But you’re only one Chancellor! They have three! You’re earth alone!”   
   
 “That is incorrect.” Sakusa, again, gently pushed her back. He cracked his neck twice and stared at his opponents. “I am no longer the Chancellor of Earth. Stone and sand do not obey my call, and this planet can no longer sustain it… I have taken on the element of Death.” The red-black mist swirled around him. “I will become the Chancellor of Death, and none of you can stop me. Nothing can stop me now. I will destroy them all, here.”   
   
 “Please…” Natsu dropped to her knees. “Please don’t…”   
   
 Sakusa glanced over his shoulder and his aura wavered.   
   
 “Please, Sakusa… I can’t rule this country alone…”   
   
 Oikawa’s eyes softened.   
   
 Yahaba lowered his gaze.   
   
 “Sakusa,” Alisa spoke up. “We… we were always on your side!” Her hands turned to fists. “From the beginning!”   
   
 “Lies!” Sakusa’s face distorted into a scowl, and the aura picked up again.   
   
 Natsu looked up. “Sakusa—”   
   
 “Stay back!” Sakusa released a shockwave that sent her, and her soldiers, further back. “Soldiers of Chhal, guard her with your life!”   
   
 Tears pouring from her eyes, Natsu got up and tried to run. “Sakusa!” The soldiers grabbed her. Her hands kept reaching. “Sakusa!”   
   
 Death swirled in the floor beneath Sakusa and he summoned up several orbs before blasting them forward.   
   
 Hinata dove in. He summoned his scythe and slashed the orbs apart. He landed with a skid.   
   
 “How dare you—” Sakusa charged forward. “How dare you use  _my_  weapon!?”   
   
 Hinata gasped.   
   
 Sakusa brought scythe against scythe, and they sparred, trading blows that released a shower of sparks—of light and dark—and created a vorpal noise with each impact.   
   
 Hinata backed away, landing sideways on one of the statues. He jumped over Sakusa and tried to attack from above—   
   
 But Sakusa parried and readied another bolt of death.   
   
 But orbs of water crashed at his feet.   
   
 Sakusa moved back.   
   
 Oikawa grit his teeth. “This space is too small for us all to fight…”   
   
 Yahaba swirled his hands upward. “But we can still do what we can!”   
   
 Bullets of wind followed Sakusa, but he swiped his scythe and tore them apart.   
   
 Hinata charged his scythe with Death and slashed hard.   
   
 Natsu broke out of the soldiers’ grip, and began running.   
   
 Sakusa also charged his weapon and death hitting death released a shockwave that shattered the waist of a statue next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Rahni and gasped. “Natsu!”   
   
 The statue began to topple.   
   
 Hinata dove down and grabbed her, moving towards the soldiers just as the statue crushed where they had been. He felt Natsu clinging to him and he glared at Sakusa. “Is this what you wanted!?”   
   
 Sakusa began to emanate even more of the red-black mist. “Chhal has fallen.” He grit his teeth. “How much more do you want to take from me!?”   
   
 Alisa stepped forward. “Sakusa—”   
   
 “Damn you, Alisa!” Sakusa glared. “Damn you, Kita! If this is what you want, then so be it… Daishou shall have his wish, since you’ve left me no other choice! We go back to the beginning—we go back to shreds and shards—and I will not have you in this world any longer!”   
   
 “Sakusa!” Kita dove forward. In his hand was a sword and shield.   
   
 Sugawara glanced to Kyoutani. “That’s…”   
   
 Kyoutani nodded. “Mine…”   
   
 Sakusa leapt up into the air and kicked off one of the statues to parry Kita’s blow.   
   
 Alisa also shot upwards; and, from a distance, shot out her whip blade in a defiant pierce.   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes widened.   
   
 Sakusa spun around, midair, deflecting the whip blade. He followed up with a strike to Kita’s shield, sending him backwards.   
   
 “Two against one,” Semi murmured, “And he’s holding his own.”   
   
 But cords of null began to converge, creating little pockets of pure energy that exploded.   
   
 Hinata glanced to Kageyama, but Kageyama was just as stunned.   
   
 Behind him, Terushima wove his hands in impossible patterns, weaving the strands of magic together from where he was.   
   
 Sakusa jumped from statue to statue, dodging the attacks from the three other chancellors. It was just as he was going in for a kill, on Kita, that all the chancellors suddenly moved away from the centre of the room.   
   
  _Fire._    
   
 It came as a column of flame and smoke, narrowly missing Sakusa.   
   
 Sakusa landed on a statue and glanced up. There, by a broken window that spilled red sunset light into the throne room—”So, finally the snake shows his face, Daishou!”   
   
 Chancellor Daishou stood on the window pane, robe fluttering in the wind. He was clutching a heavy tome and his eyes never left Sakusa.   
   
 Alisa yelled, “No!”   
   
 Sakusa leapt at him.   
   
 Daishou was still.   
   
 Sakusa jumped out the broken window.   
   
 “You!” Terushima’s eyes widened. “You let Sakusa escape!?”   
   
 “Queen of Valentia!” Daishou’s gaze turned to her. “What is our goal, our duty?”   
   
 Yachi stepped forward. “Lord Suguru…”   
   
 “Is now the place and time…?”   
   
 Yachi’s eyes moved from him to the girl that was still huddled in Hinata’s arms.   
   
 Natsu.   
   
 She understood.   
   
 Hinata let go of Natsu, blinking.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi had not always been Queen. It was a simple thing, really; and, yet, people forgot it often. She approached Natsu, who was crying, but the Soldiers of Chhal raised their weapons at her. She only looked each of them in the eye for a moment, and the weapons were lowered. Yachi moved forward again, kneeling down and pulling the girl into her arms. “Lady Natsu.” She hugged her tight.   
   
 Natsu’s eyes widened.   
   
 Yachi felt Natsu stiffen, but felt her relax as well. “When I lost my mother… your father embraced me here, just like this… He told me something that I will never forget.” She squeezed Natsu before pulling away and looking her in the eyes. “He told me, to take the throne… every monarch must experience the loss of a king or queen before them.”   
   
 Natsu hiccupped.   
   
 “You’re very young to take the throne, but you are not weak.” She looked up, at the statues of the previous monarchs. “These… they don’t give you much solace, with the shadows of their greatness. But.” Her eyes returned to Natsu. “Remember: Each one had their own fears, worries, and anxieties… Each one had moments where they did not know what to do.”   
   
 Natsu’s gaze looked at the statues, as if seeing them in a new light.   
   
 “Remember, Rahni of Earth, Lady Hinata Natsu… you are not alone. Never, alone.”   
   
 Natsu lowered her head. “Queen of Fire… I… don’t… I don’t know what to do.”   
   
 “I cannot force you, but it is the first time the rulers of the  _five_  nations have assembled.” She squeezed her shoulders. “We can end this war, here and now. Please.”   
   
 Natsu looked past Yachi, most likely looking at Oikawa, Yahaba, and Asahi.   
   
  _To take the throne, every monarch must experience the loss of a king or queen before them._    
   
 Natsu’s eyes turned to Yachi.   
   
 Yachi merely whispered, “Natsu…?”   
   
 “I…” Natsu forced herself up. “I must stop the war, before we lose any more soldiers of Chhal!”   
   
 Hinata smiled. “Right!”   
   
 Natsu turned to him, and nodded.   
   
 Yachi’s smile grew, and she felt her heart warm.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 With a single ceasefire from Hinata Natsu, the war of five nations ended.   
   
 It was over.   
   
 The war… was over.   
   
 “Chancellor of Water.”   
   
 Alisa turned.   
   
 Semi had followed her, when she tried to move to a quieter part of the tower.   
   
 “I taught you too well, to even sneak up on me.”   
   
 “Perhaps.” Semi smirked. “Or perhaps your mind is lost in thought…”   
   
 “The best time to sneak up on someone,” Alisa repeated the long-memorised lesson. She closed her eyes. “Eita…”   
   
 “Before.” Semi frowned. “You said that Sakusa was our goal, and that Chhal was not.”   
   
 Alisa turned, glancing to one of the higher windows, similar to the one Daishou had been standing on when Sakusa had made his escape.   
   
 Daishou, of course, had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.   
   
 “There is a human saying,” Alisa explained, “That you may have won the battle, but you have not won the war.”   
   
 “Yes, I know of it.”   
   
 “I suppose… it is the opposite.” Alisa’s catlike eyes held the knowledge of the deep dark oceans as her gaze bore into Semi. “The war is over, but the battle… Eita, the battle has just  _now_  begun.” 


	12. Solidarity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emi~ Emi~ if you ever get around to reading this -- this chapter is for you, because (despite you sitting on your bread all the time) you power through things and keep yourself going, even when faced with struggle after struggle. 
> 
> But yeah, whoa~ I'm late with this chapter! 
> 
> The good news is that I completed NaNo last month, and that the rest of this fic is written! It's a little surreal, the feeling. All that's left is the editing process, and I don't want to rush it because I want to give you guys the best I can with this fic. Updates will probably start coming out faster, though~ going to post the last chapter before the new year for sure! We're heading to end-game territory, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> * * *

 He remembered, once, he’d stood alongside friends. Many of them. They’d shared laughs and embraces, pats on the back. They were once each other’s lights in the dark. They had given each other comfort, warmth, and hope. He remembered those days… Many of those people had come and gone, though the three of them had always stood at his side. But. He remembered. He remembered, once, he’d stood alongside friends.   
   
 Where were they now?   
   
 Sakusa Kiyoomi stood in the blinding light of the crystals. His shadow elongated impossibly, and was a darkness so pitch black that it almost seemed to dissolve existence behind him.   
   
 He’d once stood alongside friends—where were they now?   
   
 Sakusa closed his eyes and bathed in the radiance of the crystal.   
   
 The clock that had once been whole was shattered in twelve places, each hour having been burnt away. All that was left was the core now, an impossibly smooth and perfect sphere.   
   
 It was larger than Sakusa, and he looked at it with a certain reverence, a certain fondness. Yes. He loved the crystals, the pillars of the world, the molecules of creation.   
   
 “It was by our doing we made you,” Sakusa said as he reached out, stroking the crystal sphere. “We created everything… Unity.” His eyes narrowed. “If we lose you…” His hand slipped off the orb and he closed his eyes. “We lose this world.”   
   
  _Daishou, what have you done…?_  Sakusa kept his eyes closed.  _What have I done…?  
   
 Daishou… what have you made me do…?_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi was quiet, lost in thought. Her eyes were fixated on a nonexistent point, and she allowed herself to become lost in the rhythmic sound of the two braziers burning. The two braziers flanked her throne, and were constant reminders of the element she was to represent. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes softened. She remained the way she was for perhaps an hour, blinking only every so often.   
   
 Several maids and guards attempted to get her attention, but each decided that it was best to leave her alone.   
   
 Except one.   
   
 Yachi’s head snapped forward. “Commander Ushijima.”   
   
 Ushijima gave a firm salute. “Your Majesty.”   
   
 “I…” Yachi closed her eyes and dipped her head once. She looked at him again. “Tell me. Report.”   
   
 “Lady Hinata Natsu has taken control of her country. The people chant her name, sing her songs, and have allowed her to take the throne as Rahni.”   
   
 “Allow?” Yachi tilted her head. “Is it not her right?”   
   
 “Chhal states that one must be of age, fifteen, to take throne,” Ushijima reminded. “The country is otherwise under control of the Chancellor of Earth… in this situation, they have accepted her, and have allowed her to bypass the most principal of rules.”   
   
 “I see.” Yachi sighed. “That is indeed how Sakusa took over…”   
   
 Ushijima nodded.   
   
 “How is she doing, if I may ask?”   
   
 “She has won the heart of her people. She visited each and every city, village, and town.” Ushijima slumped his shoulders again. “Emperor Oikawa will be providing freshwater supplies, and will be reopening trade lines. High Thane Yahaba will also be reopening trade. Sakusa personally stopped both trade routes during his reign.”   
   
 “Why?” But Yachi knew the answer. “To make his country desperate?”   
   
 “The people are smart,” Ushijima murmured, “I believe they knew the truth of Sakusa’s design… they just either chose to ignore it, or couldn’t speak it for fear of prosecution. Sakusa was once well liked… but not recently.”   
   
 “Being not liked…” Yachi straightened her back. “It’s rare for a Chancellor.”   
   
 “… Is it?”   
   
 “We take it for granted, really.” Yachi’s eyes softened. “We question our Chancellor, call him a snake behind closed doors… such things do not happen with the others, and not without reason.”   
   
 “Perhaps if their Chancellors were as… mysterious, as ours—”   
   
 “No.” Yachi shook her head. “I see it has already happened to Semi Eita, and soon it will happen to the rest of the Fires. It is best you face the truth as well. The Chancellors are shrouded in mystery, and shrouded in a veil which makes us turn the other way.”   
   
 Ushijima’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 “Do you know how long the four Chancellors have served?”   
   
 “Twenty years?” Ushijima frowned. “Forty…?”   
   
 Yachi stared at him.   
   
 “No, it… must be longer. The Three-Way war was eighty years ago…” Ushijima’s eyes narrowed. “But… the peace treaty was four hundred years ago…”   
   
 “The Warrior of Light existed a thousand years ago,” Yachi reminded him, “And in the texts it is stated plainly that they had the same Chancellors as we do now.”   
   
 “But such a thing—”   
   
 “Is true.” Yachi nodded. “But, you see, the Chancellors exist within a veil… although the records are stated firmly, and we should be able to connect the dots… we find ourselves unable to. Many of the actions of the Chancellors are shrouded from our understanding, from our minds… We are taught to love and respect our Chancellors—without choice. The veil, Wakatoshi… it covers humanity.”   
   
 Ushijima’s eyes twitched.   
   
 “The Chancellors choose how much of a veil they allow around them.” Yachi stared him in the eyes. “The reason we do not trust Daishou is because he uses the least amount of the veil, which, in turn… is why I find him to be the most trustworthy.”   
   
 “Your Majesty, I!”   
   
 Yachi put her hands together and folded them. “You are free to believe as you wish… but now that I have pierced the veil… it will slowly erode for you. I hope you understand, ignorance is bliss—and I have taken you away from bliss, only because I believe it necessary.”   
   
 Ushijima said nothing.   
   
 “The memories of the Fires of Valentia,” Yachi went on, “They—too—were shrouded by this veil. By awakening Death and Null inside themselves, the shroud was dispersed. This is how each of them have regained memories in turn.”   
   
 “Though,” Ushijima whispered, “Two more remain…”   
   
 “Twelve, and Thirteen.” Yachi felt the air chill around her, even with the braziers burning bright. “Three years… How I have missed their guidance, their presence…” Her eyes closed.   
   
 Yamaguchi.   
   
 Kiyoko.   
   
 Ushijima stepped forward, opening his mouth to speak.   
   
 “Now.” Yachi smiled softly. “It is your day off… perhaps you should rest, instead of reporting to me.”   
   
 “But…”   
   
 “Rest, Wakatoshi.” Yachi’s smile grew. “That’s an order.”   
   
 “Yes… Your Majesty.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata was eating plate-fulls of the baked goods from the buffet breakfast, washing it down with sweet tea that was flavoured with the orange roses of Valentia. Kageyama watched him, sipping his own coffee, amused. He had also eaten a large amount, and seeing Hinata happily munching away on everything was… actually kind of endearing? Kageyama thought, quietly, about how lucky he was for this all to happen.   
   
 He had accepted, like the others had, that Hinata had no origin.   
   
 Hinata wasn’t supposed to exist.   
   
 And, yet, in him Kageyama had found someone he wanted to spend more and more time with.   
   
 “Kageyama!”   
   
 He flinched. “Wh-What!?”   
   
 “Sorry I scared you!” Hinata laughed as he took another bite of a muffin. He spoke, with his mouth full, which was utterly incomprehensible, then he chewed, swallowed, and tried again. “The solstice, it was kind of fun! Even though it got super grim. It would be nice if we did it again next year!”   
   
 “Moron…” Kageyama’s eyes softened. “The next solstice is in six months. We went over this… it’s on my birthday.”   
   
 “Oh!” Hinata perked up. “That’s right! We’re going to have a birthday party for you!”   
   
 “B-Birthd—No!” Kageyama scowled, but it melted away. “It would be nice… if we got together again, six months from now.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Hinata smiled bright. “I can’t wait.”   
   
  _If you’re still around,_  Kageyama couldn’t stop the thought. A pang hit him in his stomach—like someone had stabbed him with a knife, and twisted it. Kageyama winced.  _No, of course he’ll still be around he—_    
   
 Hinata had come from nowhere, and had nowhere to return to.   
   
  _With me,_  Kageyama decided.  _He’ll return with me._    
   
 He swore—he would see it through.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Finally!” Lev was bouncing up and down in the small cafe, not noticing other customers staring. “Your face is so cute—it was so weird to see it all covered up with a mask.”   
   
 “Hn.” Akaashi sipped his drink, a tea with more honey than he would admit. “Leave Kitten alone, please.”   
   
 Kenma didn’t seem to mind, though. He leaned on Bokuto’s shoulder in a small booth adorned with pillows. The incense of orange roses burned at the centre of the table, trailing a light smoke upwards. He merely shuffled a bit to rest his head on Bokuto as he murmured, “Owlet.”   
   
 Akaashi choked on his tea.   
   
 Sarukui chuckled. “Whipped.”   
   
 Akinori smirked.   
   
 Akaashi quickly wiped his mouth with a serviette and shot them a glare.   
   
 Kuroo glanced at Kenma. “You okay, buddy? You’re being quiet.”   
   
 Kenma glanced at him.   
   
 Bokuto wrapped an arm around Kenma, pulling him closer. “He means, more than usual, you know?—And that’s okay! We just—”   
   
 Kenma made a small noise, cutting him off. “I’m just…”   
   
 Akaashi eyed him. “Concerned?”   
   
 “Mm.” Kenma’s eyes turned on Lev, who froze from the sight. “Your family name… it’s Haiba.”   
   
 Lev smiled and his hands shook. “You remembered! You remember me!”   
   
 “Oh.” Kenma blinked. “Yeah… I, uh… I have my memories now.”   
   
 “Really!?”   
   
 “Alisa,” Kenma murmured. “Her family name is also Haiba…”   
   
 Lev blinked.   
   
 “Could it be… a bloodline?” Kenma tilted his head. “A connection? Distant relative…?”   
   
 “Uh…” Lev blinked again. “I’ve never thought about it…”   
   
 “Never thought about it.” Kenma felt a cloud in his mind disperse. “Nor have I… or anyone… and yet… it’s as clear as day… Shouyou and Natsu, them too… but…”   
   
 Bokuto was also frowning. “You know… I wonder who Shouyou was before all this… Um, you know.” He bit his lip. “If he was anyone at all?”   
   
 Kenma glanced over and his eyes narrowed.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Can you stop crying!? I get that you’re worried, but just! Stop!”_    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes snapped open. He found himself in the breakfast hall, face planted against one of the tables. He lifted his head and saw there was a wet spot where he had drooled on the tablecloth. He quickly wiped his mouth and looked around to see if anyone had seen him.   
   
 But there were only a couple palace staff in the room, cleaning up other things.   
   
 They had let him fall asleep?   
   
 Had he been so tired?   
   
 Yamaguchi tried to stop himself from yawning, but it pulled through him and he shuddered. He lowered his head, closing his eyes, and shivered.   
   
 What… was that?   
   
 A… memory?   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Even though Shimizu Kiyoko did not remember or truly feel anything, she understood. Her rank in the Valentian army had been a high one prior to the creation of the Fires. Everywhere she went, soldiers would salute to her and she would nod to them in return. They would smile, as if happy she remembered them, though she didn’t. So many faces… so many names. Unknown faces, and unknown names. Still, with her heeled boots she walked down the halls.   
   
 She did not remember why or truly feel anything, but she understood—in Valentia—she could go wherever she wanted and be greeted warmly.   
   
 Whether it was a pristine room of nobles full of wealth, or a dirty street of society’s most marginalised, she would be welcomed and loved.   
   
 Who was she, to harbour that much respect?   
   
 Kiyoko opened the door to a small war room. She had heard Sky Captain Goshiki was here, and she had questions for him. She had wanted to wait for her memories to return on their own… but she could wait no longer.   
   
 However…   
   
 Kiyoko stiffened as the doors opened.   
   
 Goshiki was leaning over a war table that displayed the city of Valentia, and he was standing across Semi, whose eyes seemed fond on the captain. Both of them turned to her instantly.   
   
 Kiyoko cleared her throat. “I hope I am not… interrupting…”   
   
 “No,” Semi assured.   
   
 “Well, yes,” Goshiki corrected, “But—”   
   
 “You look troubled,” Semi took over. “Is everything okay, Twelve?”   
   
 Kiyoko stepped in and her eyes turned to Goshiki. “Tell me. Now. Why am I so respected here…?”   
   
 Goshiki bit his lip. “Well…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kyoutani found himself sitting on the steps of an outdoor stairway. It was one of the side entrances to the royal palace; and, as such, the gardens rose before him and the architecture was well-crafted. It should have been a popular spot, yet it was quiet. Quiet. Kyoutani had longed for quiet.   
   
 Footsteps.   
   
 Kyoutani knew he could only hear those steps because they wanted to be heard.   
   
 Sugawara Koushi, Master of Woede’s Spy Network, stepped down to the same level as him, but remained standing.   
   
 Kyoutani let a breeze pass him by.   
   
 “The gardens,” Sugawara murmured, “They almost feel like we’re on Woede, atop the Great Tree.”   
   
 Kyoutani grunted.   
   
 Sugawara stared out to them for a moment. “When this is over, Kyoutani… are you going to go home?”   
   
 Kyoutani nodded.   
   
 “Well, you and Yahaba…” Sugawara smirked, enjoying the flash of pink that spread from one of Kyoutani’s cheeks to the other. He let out a laugh and waved his hand. “Sorry, sorry…”   
   
 “He…” Kyoutani’s eyes softened. “When I first awoke… I fought in the underground rings, Valentian soldiers… just like before. Just like the gladiator fights.”   
   
 Sugawara glanced over.   
   
 “But… this.” Kyoutani grit his teeth. He looked out to the gardens. “Woede… it…”   
   
 “Nature helps you feel calm,” Suga supplied.   
   
 Kyoutani nodded. “That’s where I belong. Yahaba… he helped me a find a place… to belong.”   
   
 Sugawara smiled, closing his eyes. “You’ve done a lot for him too, you know.”   
   
 Kyoutani glanced up.   
   
 “But that’s between you and him…” Sugawara’s eyes opened and his expression was downcast, as if he had suddenly lost all the fire inside him. “I don’t know where I should go, or what I should do…”   
   
 Kyoutani turned more towards Suga, frowning.   
   
 “I have responsibilities, and a home, at Woede.” Sugawara rubbed his hands together. “And yet… I now have a brother I want to spend more time with… and I have a partner, too.”   
   
 “Eh?”   
   
 “Oh.” Sugawara laughed. “I guess the cat’s going to be out of the bag soon enough, anyway. I always did have a bad habit, you know…”   
   
 Kyoutani groaned, remembering full and well.   
   
 “Well, I  _tried_  to keep most of those hidden,” Sugawara explained, “But I did tell Yahaba about Daichi. He had the same reaction. It probably isn’t good for a Master of a Spy Network to have a bad habit of sleeping with the enemy…”   
   
 Kyoutani just groaned louder.   
   
 Sugawara just laughed louder.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Shirabu had been wandering the halls for a while, before he decided to walk atop the walls of the castle. The outdoor environment felt a lot less caged, and his shoulders relaxed, as did the tension winding in his hands. He walked for a while, before suddenly stopping. He glanced over his shoulder. “Still, you come to stalk me?”   
   
 “Hey now.” Tendou melded out of the shadow, perched atop the wall. “It’s not stalking. I was here first!”   
   
 “Hm.” Shirabu turned towards him. “I’m half expecting you to bombard me with your usual questions.”   
   
 “Why do you still have your memories?” Tendou snickered. “I guess we know that now, Your Highness.”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes narrowed and he let out an annoyed sigh.   
   
 Tendou kicked off the wall and landed on the walkway. “You know, when this is over… people are still going to be misusing Death. That in turn is what my job is for.”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I am aware…”   
   
 “Alisa leads our faction, but we do need a royal overseeing us. When your father rose to power… Alisa chose not to disclose anything to him.” He crossed his arms. “And I think your brother’s going to have his hands full with being Emperor, so…”   
   
 Shirabu’s eyes went sidelong for a moment. “Hm.” He turned towards the city of Valentia, and imagined it was Rodzina stretching out before him. “I have never been one for the limelight… a job in the shadows seems more my nature.”   
   
 Tendou smirked. “Well then, I’m sure you’ve got the job if you want it, Your Highness!”   
   
 Shirabu nodded twice. “Well, here’s your first order: Stop referring to me as Your Highness.”   
   
 “Wh-” Tendou backed away. “No way! I can’t wait to go back and tell everyone I was working with the Second Prince all this time! I’ve got bragging rights for at least a couple years!”   
   
 Shirabu scoffed and turned away. “You asked me to be your boss.” He began walking away. “Live with the consequences.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi walked towards their sleeping quarters with a bit of tension in each step. He thought back to Kiyoko barging in, demanding to know who she was… Goshiki had paled, visibly, and told her the one thing she most likely expected to hear, but the one thing she didn’t want to hear:   
   
  _“The Ch-Chancellor… would not want me… to say anything…”_    
   
 Semi walked up the steps with a frown on his face.   
   
 Kiyoko had walked out, silently, without expression, but Semi had felt it… the rumbling of thunder beneath quiet storm clouds.   
   
 Semi continued his path. He knew he had, well… There was nothing he could do about that situation. He trusted Kiyoko would awaken in her turn. Yes, they had liberated Valentia, Woede, Rodzina, and Chhal… but the battle was not over. Sakusa still was at large, and most likely more desperate than ever. Semi’s hands turned to fists as he walked towards his room, lost in thought, until he glanced to see someone ahead of him.   
   
 Aone Takanobu.   
   
 Semi stared for a moment.   
   
 Aone was staring out into the city, lost in thought. His white hair seemed to have a glint of orange from the orange light of the sun. It wasn’t sunset yet, but it would be soon.   
   
 Semi walked over, to stand by him. He leaned on the railing with one arm and pursed his lips. “Is it hard to be away from home, when she most needs you?”   
   
 Aone took in a sharp breath. “Yes.”   
   
 “We’ll all return home soon, I’m sure.”   
   
 “Hm.” Aone glanced at him. “Will you be returning home?”   
   
 “Yes.” Semi nodded. “I must be by the Prince’s side. I am his guard. Until Tooru officially takes throne, it will be a dangerous situation in Rodzina. There are many who would use this time for their own gain, and they will most likely be waiting until just a little after the war to strike.”   
   
 “I believe the same,” Aone assured. “It is why I wish to be by her side, now more than ever.”   
   
 Semi nodded again.   
   
 “But…” Aone averted his gaze for a moment. “You will head home, then…?”   
   
 “Hm.” Semi thought of Sugawara, of  _Goshiki._  “I’m not sure how I will make everything work…”   
   
 Aone hummed.   
   
 “I’ll find a way, I’m sure.” Semi softly smiled. “I usually do.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 There was a sudden ruckus at the palace and Yachi walked with haste as she made her way to the airship docking bay. Her maids assured her that her dress and hair were more than presentable, but of course she would worry about these things still. Her mother’s voice came to her, at times like this, telling her she had to be perfect. It was harsh, and strict, and it made Yachi’s heart beat faster than she could manage.   
   
 But she also knew, now, years later, her mother had only done it because that was the only way her mother knew how to live.   
   
 Although they’d clashed many times in her youth, Yachi had loved her mother, and missed her presence – especially at times like this.   
   
 A man in a white and grey kimono was walking towards her, with a smile.   
   
 That smile melted her worries, and Yachi couldn’t help but smile as well. “You did not announce yourself… We would have prepared a greater welcoming party.”   
   
 “A-Ah. Forgive me, Your Majesty.”   
   
 “No, please.” Yachi waved her hand to wave it away. “You do us a pleasure by being here, Your Honour, Tenno Azumane.”   
   
 “Asahi is fine,” he said sheepishly, as he scratched the side of his head. “I-I am not one for titles, r-really…”   
   
 Yachi’s smile grew. She didn’t expect someone who was so fierce in the war room to be so… shy. She let out a small laugh. “Then call me Hitoka, and we shall be equals here, Asahi.”   
   
 Asahi’s cheeks burned. “A-Ah, w-well…”   
   
 “Yo! Fire Queen!”   
   
 Yachi glanced over.   
   
 Terushima was walking towards her. He was smiling wide, free spirited as always, but there was a tightness to his smile, a certain rigidness in his walk, as if he was secretly tied in invisible chains.   
   
 Following Terushima was Sawamura Daichi – Asahi’s right hand, his sword and shield.   
   
 Yachi surveyed the three of them and bit her lip. “What is the matter? How can I be of service to Nuru?”   
   
 “It is not for Nuru that we come,” Asahi quickly explained. “Twice, the Fires have saved my Chancellor, which puts us in great debt of Valentia… and so it is for Valentia we are here.”   
   
 Yachi felt her chest tighten.   
   
 “Call the crew,” Terushima murmured.   
   
 Yachi blinked.   
   
 “The Fires,” Daichi explained, “Please call the Fires of Valentia. Especially One and Fourteen.”   
   
 Yachi turned and paused.   
   
 Kiyoko was standing behind her, sending stone already in her hands. “I will do so at once, Your Majesty.”   
   
 “Thank you. Please do so.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The majority of the Fires were assembled, but not all. Even though they had sending stones, it was their day off. Some, like Tendou, had left it in his room with his other gear, and was not informed of the meeting. Others, like Kuroo, Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kenma had travelled a notable distance from the palace and would take some time to get back in time for the meeting.   
   
 Asahi stood at a large table in a war room, that displayed the map of the entire planet.   
   
 Daichi stood at his side, expression serious, until he felt a familiar arm slip around his waist.   
   
 “What’s the laydown, big guy?”   
   
 Daichi inhaled sharply.   
   
 Sugawara’s smile was devilish and he gave a wink. “Maybe you can give me a laydow—”   
   
  _“Suga!”_  Daichi quietly hissed.   
   
 Sugawara slipped his arm away. “Sorry.” He waved his hands in front of his face. “I’m just being honest about my thoughts.”   
   
 “Please.” Daichi’s cheeks were pink. “Don’t be.”   
   
 “Your Honour,” Yachi said as she stepped into the room. “I don’t think we will be able to get all the Fires, but we should start the meeting. Nine of them are here. It is the best we can do on such short notice.”   
   
 “Yes.” Asahi nodded firmly. “I understand I ask a lot, and I understand this is time you have all been given to rest, however, there is something I must inform you all about.”   
   
 Sugawara slipped away from Daichi, returning to stand next to Semi.   
   
 Both Semi and Kyoutani were shooting him dirty looks.   
   
 “Null is… essentially, nothing.” Asahi opened his hands and created sparks of it. “It is non-elemental. Just, pure… arcana. Pure magic.”   
   
 Kageyama opened his hands as well.   
   
 “You,” Daichi said firmly, but not unkindly, “We saw you use Null in combat.”   
   
 “Yes.” Kageyama nodded slowly. “I was… always, gifted with magic… I could use every element. Wind, acid, fire… sand, stone, water… ice, light, darkness… gravity, thunder, and lightning… But when I awoke from my crystal stasis, as a Fire of Valentia, I could not… I could no longer use the spells I had spent ages learning.”   
   
 Hinata glanced at him.   
   
 “And instead…” He created sparks of Null. “All my magic had turned into… this… I have no regrets, because Null is more powerful than any of my other spells, and all the arcane runes I have spent ages studying are needed to weave the cords of Null. If anything, it’s… almost my calling.”   
   
 “Yes, I would say so.” Asahi smiled, a tense smile. “But you must understand, then… where Null exists, the other elements cannot. Null cannot co-exist in this world with the elements.”   
   
 Kageyama tensed, looking up.   
   
 “Well.” Terushima put his hand on his hip. “It really depends how you look at it… Yeah, Null is non-elemental, because it’s pure force, pure arcana… but in a sense, Null is its own element too.”   
   
 “It opposes Death,” Asahi explained. “Death is Life, and Life is Death…”   
   
 “Death.” Hinata created his scythe, staring at it. “Death is chaos… the constant fluctuation of living and dying, of cycles, generations, the changes that occur over time…”   
   
 “Death is chaos,” Kageyama spoke quietly, “And Null is order.”   
   
 Asahi nodded.   
   
 Yachi eyed them both, chest tight.   
   
 “As you know, Nuru is a new nation, and I do not claim to have thousands of years of history behind my city.” Asahi’s shoulders tensed. “Compared to the other four nations, we are not linked to the crystal roots that formulate your cities. We are not linked to the crystals; and, thus, we are not linked to the World’s Heart, or to Death.”   
   
 Kageyama frowned. “Impossible.”   
   
 Asahi looked at him.   
   
 “I felt it when we went to the airship’s crash,” Kageyama whispered, “A source of energy that gathered… it felt like the capital cities.”   
   
 “Yes, we have a great storage of Null in our city,” Asahi explained. “At the beginning, we created Nuru not as a city… but as a prison.”   
   
 Kageyama tensed.   
   
 “We caged the raw elements of Null in this prison, and the magi that gathered around it… they needed lodging, they needed food, and so a small village was formed. Over time, the village became a town, and then a city.” Asahi bit his lip. “The imbalance of elements… I’m sure you are all aware of it now. It is Null that is destroying them.”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 “We find where Null gathers, and we hunt it.” Asahi smiled. “We are not mages, but templar knights. Swordsmen who follow the magic and have protective spells to allow us to do our duty.”   
   
 “But.” Hinata’s eyes widened. “That means… this world…”   
   
 “This world,” Shirabu murmured, “Is dying.”   
   
 Asahi nodded slowly. “We have been able to stop the flow of our planet’s destruction, by following the concentrations of Null.” He looked at Yachi. “You do not seem… surprised, by any of this, Yachi Hitoka.”   
   
 Yachi took a deep breath. “No. I am aware of what is happening to this world.”   
   
 The Fires all turned to her, staring, shaken.   
   
 “But, Tenno Asahi.” Yachi stared at him with understanding. “If you follow the concentrations… why have you come here?”   
   
 “Because.” Asahi nodded to confirm what she already knew. “It is coming here, to Valentia.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sugawara watched Daichi leave the meeting room. The orders were clear: Prepare. Prepare for what…? Not even Asahi could tell them how it would manifest, but this was a substance that would destroy the world, essentially. Not kill it, because Death was Life… but eradicate its existence.   
   
 Sugawara followed Daichi as the words echoed in his mind.   
   
 Daichi had found some railings outside, and he took a deep breath.   
   
 Sugawara trailed his hand over Daichi’s shoulders.   
   
 Daichi stiffened and glanced at him, blushing.   
   
 “Well.” Suga hopped on the railing in front of Daichi, smiling as he looked down. “Are you going to say anything?”   
   
 “We are supposed to prepare.”   
   
 “I’ve got my armour,” Suga pointed out, “And I can summon my daggers now, instead of having to keep them strapped everywhere.”   
   
 Daichi just sighed. He looked up and his perplexed expression melted into a frown. “I don’t know… how your… you know, memories—”   
   
 “Oh.” Suga smirked. “I’ve got them back now.”   
   
 Daichi’s cheeks burned.   
   
 “I’ve had them for a while now.” Suga leaned down just a little. “I suppose it’s not as exciting, since I’m not really sleeping with the enemy anymore.”   
   
 “You’re too honest.”   
   
 “But I still like you.”   
   
 Daichi gawked for a moment. “Koushi, you’re going to kill me like this…”   
   
 “Please. You’d be dead if I wanted you dead.”   
   
 “I don’t doubt it.” Daichi shivered. “This is not the time for this…”   
   
 “Hey, we might die.” Suga leaned down and kissed the corner of Daichi’s lips. “This might be our last chance to say what we want to say, you know?”   
   
 “So.” Daichi closed his eyes at the contact and he smiled. “Are we… still a thing? As much as I love your kiss first, ask questions later method…”   
   
 “I’ve got two pieces of advice for you.”   
   
 “I know, I know: Be gay and do crimes.”   
   
 Sugawara laughed, throwing his head back.   
   
 “I remember there was a time you were a bit shy,” Daichi said with a smile, “I miss those times sometimes.”   
   
 “Sorry. You know me. The chance of dying is what makes my anxiety go away.”   
   
 “Clearly.”   
   
 “Daichi.” Sugawara rested his hands on Daichi’s shoulders and leaned down so they were forehead to forehead. “Not sleeping with the enemy has its downsides for sure, but… it would make it easier for us to have a  _real_  relationship.”   
   
 Daichi closed his eyes. “I never thought I’d hear you say that.”   
   
 Sugawara laughed. “Come on.” He pulled away. “We’ve got patrols to run.”   
   
 Daichi nodded. “Yes.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
  _“Stop it! Stop fighting!”  
   
 “Shut up!”   
   
 “You’re just lashing out because you’re scared!”   
   
 “What would you know? You fucking brat!? You’re just an ugly snotty-nosed kid who won’t get out of my business!”   
   
 “I know this isn’t what you want! Y-You’re—You’re being an idiot!”   
   
 “I’m not—”   
   
 “You’re being an idiot, Tsukki!”_   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi felt like he had been hit by a sack of bricks. He lost his stepping, feeling vertigo. He grabbed the wall to steady himself and he whispered, simply, “Tsukki…”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Tsukishima was in the hangar, fixing some pipes that had loosened after an impact. He had been working on the Gold Eagle tirelessly since his return. He had to be dragged by Commander Ushijima out of the hangar every time the Queen had asked for him. He would not stop unless he had to. He adjusted his glasses and grabbed a cloth, wiping down a bit of excess moisture from the machine.   
   
 “Most Captains make their mechanics do that work.”   
   
 Tsukishima froze. His hands were shaking, but he went back to wiping down the pipe. “I look after her myself.”   
   
 “Hm.” Yamaguchi leaned on the nearby wall, facing him. “You really cherish her, huh?”   
   
 Tsukishima nodded. He grabbed his wrench and began twisting. “Always, but more so now… ever since I saw the Silver Eagle go down in Woede…”   
   
 Yamaguchi said nothing.   
   
 Tsukishima wasn’t sure what Yamaguchi was thinking, so he continued to work.   
   
 “I wanted to ask you something…”   
   
 Tsukishima glanced over his shoulder.   
   
 “Who were you to me, Tsukki?”   
   
 Tsukishima’s shoulders shook once, and he looked away quickly—too quickly. He bit his lip and pondered on how to answer that. He closed his eyes for a moment before he took a breath. “We…” He looked over his shoulder.   
   
 Yamaguchi wasn’t leaning on the wall anymore. He was standing, with soft eyes, confused like a lost little bird.   
   
 Tsukishima stood up and faced him properly. “You and I, we… we were, um. Are. Many things… We…”   
   
 Valentia shook.   
   
 Yamaguchi summoned his rapier and his shoulders tensed. He turned, and ran outside.   
   
 Tsukishima followed. “What the—”   
   
 The sky darkened and the earth shook once again.   
   
 Tsukishima caught sight of something amongst the black clouds and the hair on the back of his neck stood. “It’s—” He barely understood the two spheres of fire that rained from the sky and exploded on impact. “An aerial assault! Prepare the ship, we—”   
   
 “No.”   
   
 Tsukishima looked at him.   
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes were in an intense trance. “That kind of firepower won’t work on this kind of beast.”   
   
 “It’s…”   
   
 “It’s one of them.” Yamaguchi took in a sharp breath. “The beasts… The  _last_  one.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Valentia was swallowed by chaos.   
   
 Daishou watched from a high perch, standing atop one of the spires of the palace. He hummed thoughtfully as a rush of emotions filled him. He put his hand up, to cover his eyes. “He actually did it…” He began to laugh, low and dark notes. “Sakusa, you actually did it!”   
   
 The explosions below echoed and boomed upwards.   
   
 Daishou spread his arms like a saint as he could hear the screams below.   
   
 The clouds opened, revealing a red eye looking down on Valentia.   
   
 “Do what you were made to do, my creation.” Daishou offered a hand to the sky. “Unity, the World’s Heart… Rise!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata and Kageyama were both running, running atop rooftops to avoid the surge of people moving the other direction. Hinata’s eyes were focused on the beast, and his whole body felt like lead. “What is that thing…?”   
   
 “Unity.” Kageyama glared. “The End of the World…”   
   
 “You…” Hinata looked at him. “You know that thing?”   
   
 “Yes.” Kageyama turned to him. “You don’t?”   
   
 “N-No!? Why would I?”   
   
 “Everyone knows—”   
   
 The beast roared and several walls of fire blasted out in every direction.   
   
 “That’s!” Hinata’s heart burned. “That’s the direction of the orphanage!”   
   
 Kageyama watched in horror as several buildings shattered and burned, civilians were screaming everywhere.   
   
 A shot of thunder hit the beast and it recoiled.   
   
 Kiyoko landed near them, heeled boots shattering the tilted roof with a skid. “Both of you—evacuate the city!” She pulled another arrow. “I’ll deal with the beast, but get the civilians out of here!”   
   
 Kageyama and Hinata shared one look before they nodded.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kiyoko was scared. No, scared wasn’t strong enough. Her hands were sweating, heart racing, vision blurring, but she pressed on. She trusted in herself and fired another shot.   
   
 Unity.   
   
 It took on the form of a dragon, with a wingspan that could cloud the sky. Its great legs and paws were covered in burning black scales, and its tail was large enough to break down several buildings in one swipe. Its teeth were sharp and deformed, as if to take on the shape of a thousand twisting blades. Dripping from its mouth was a red mist that it unleashed in a blast.   
   
 Kiyoko dodged and stared in disbelief. “Unity… The End of the World… the monster that was defeated by the Warrior of Light… he became a hero for it.” Her eyes narrowed. “And then he was stabbed in the back, left to die…” Was that how she would be, when she defeated it? In the end, would she fall?   
   
 It charged at her, raising its right claw to strike.   
   
 “No.” Kiyoko vaulted into the air, flipping over its gigantic form and releasing another shot straight on its other claw, pinning it to the floor and surprising it. “You will not take this place from me.” She landed on the dragon’s head and raised her free hand and brought it down, sending the roar of thunder through the beast’s skull.   
   
 It growled and tentacles broke out of its skin to grab her.   
   
 Kiyoko kicked off, flying high into the sky, and watched as others came to her aid.   
   
 Multiple attacks hit head on—wind, acid, earth, gravity, and darkness.   
   
 Kiyoko landed again and eyed them behind her. “Stay back.”   
   
 “Stay back?” Shirabu’s whip blade was glowing purple. “Are you mad?”   
   
 “Evacuate the area!” Kiyoko turned to them. “You know how this ends!”   
   
 Semi and Sugawara looked at each other.   
   
 Tendou, blades in hand but without armour, bit his lip.   
   
 Kyoutani just growled, “Don’t die!”   
   
 “I won’t.” Kiyoko wasn’t sure if she was lying. When the others retreated, she saw Unity was staring right at her. She took a calm, even breath, before she lunged forward.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi watched from a balcony high on the castle. She had sent her orders, and sent them well. She was sure of it… and yet, she wasn’t sure what else she could do but watch. The palace doors were open, and civilians flooded in. The beast had chosen to strike at the other part of the town, and Yachi wondered why that was.   
   
  _Reverence maybe?_  She pondered.  _For the crystal core that resides under the palace…?_    
   
 The beast roared and created a line of fire that burned hundreds of buildings.   
   
 Yachi took a deep breath.   
   
 “Your Majesty!” Ushijima ran towards her. “There you are—how… How are you fairing?”   
   
 “I knew this would happen,” Yachi whispered. “I knew… Valentia would be the first to fall.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi continued to run as fast as he could. He knew he had defied orders by going to the airship hangar, but he’d thought – what was the worst that could happen? This. Yamaguchi frowned at himself. This could happen. He continued to run until he saw familiar robes and uniforms. He paused and stared at them.   
   
 Kuroo gave another order and turned to Yamaguchi. “Hey!”   
   
 “What.” Yamaguchi looked at them. “What are you guys doing?”   
   
 Kenma murmured, “Evacuating.”   
   
 “All of you? Why?”   
   
 “Kiyoko’s fighting it alone,” Bokuto said, voice trembling slightly. “It’s not like we wanted to, it’s just…”   
   
 “She gave orders.” Kuroo glanced at him. “We followed them.”   
   
 Yamaguchi stared in disbelief. “But—”   
   
 “We don’t know,” Akaashi explained, “But she seemed to know things we didn’t, and it seemed she had a plan. We trusted her.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kiyoko was fairing pretty well. For now. She shot again and this time she hit the beast. The dragon responded with a scream and Kiyoko raised an eyebrow. Usually when she hit the wing, it didn’t cause much of an effect… perhaps she had found a joint? Bone? She pulled another arrow. Could she dislocate it?   
   
 The dragon snapped its jaw at her.   
   
 Kiyoko flung herself aside, narrowly dodging those teeth, and fired.   
   
 Unity screamed.   
   
 Kiyoko landed and her eyes widened.   
   
 It unleashed a cone of flame right at her.   
   
 Sand swirled and grabbed her leg, pulling her aside. Kiyoko flew into a bed of sand that broke her fall and watched as a stream of flame charred where she once stood. She glanced up.   
   
 Aone held his quarterstaff in his hand.   
   
 “Evacuate,” Kiyoko ordered.   
   
 Aone looked at her.   
   
 Kiyoko’s eyes narrowed. “Please, do what I say…”   
   
 “You know as well as I do…” Aone’s eyes didn’t leave hers. “The flesh form of this beast is not the problem.”   
   
 “Exactly.”   
   
 “Then… are you certain.”   
   
 Kiyoko nodded.   
   
 Aone bit his lip, but retreated, running down a street.   
   
 The sand dispersed under her, and Kiyoko jumped off the ground just in time to dodge a swirling strike of its tail.   
   
 Kiyoko was alone, again.   
   
 Unity kept up its assault.   
   
 Kiyoko landed on a building and leapt off as it was crashed into. She fired again at the wing joint, and this time heard both a  _snap_  and a horrible howl.   
   
 She could do this.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi was running, still. He ignored everyone he passed. Both Tendou and Kyoutani assured him Kiyoko seemed to know what she was doing, but he continued towards the heart of the fighting. All around him, Valentia – his childhood home – was being torn apart, fires blazing their roars, streets littered with ash and blood…   
   
 Yamaguchi continued to run.   
   
 He could see them fighting now, Kiyoko midair and firing the last shot.   
   
 Unity’s body slumped down.   
   
 Dead? No, this was just—   
   
 Yamaguchi’s eyes widened.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yachi watched from high above as a column of shadow erupted into the dark skies. The column aligned with the red eye that looked down from the black clouds above.   
   
 Rings of shadow emanated from the epicentre.   
   
 In the city, Hinata and Kageyama watched as time and space around them began to sizzle and burn.   
   
 Kyoutani and Sugawara stood alongside Daichi and Asahi as lines of magic seemed to burn underneath them, all leading to the column of purple wind at the centre.   
   
 Tendou perched himself high on a tower, eyes wide and heart beating impossibly fast.   
   
 Semi and Shirabu were urging people to continue moving through the streets, even though they had all wanted to stop and stare.   
   
 Kuroo’s squad had finished their evacuation and gone back into the destroyed zones to help those who couldn’t evacuate in time. But they had stopped, and stared at the shadows that seemed too vivid to be real.   
   
 Aone passed Yamaguchi and urged him to stop, but Yamaguchi continued to run towards it.   
   
 And, high above, Yachi watched the column of shadow. She put a hand to her heart. “And so…” Her eyes softened. “Valentia… falls.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kiyoko was swallowed whole. There was no way to describe the feeling except being swallowed whole. She had been in the void, experienced the world frozen in time, but this shadow was unlike anything. It almost reminded her of the crystal cave, where the World’s Heart was shining magnificent. She twisted her body in this shadow and turned.   
   
 There was a crystalline ring.   
   
 Kiyoko glanced forward and saw a false image of the crystal clock, with the centre surrounded by twelve crystals. Twelve pillars. They were all gone now, and all that remained was the impossibly smooth sphere at the centre. The World’s Heart.   
   
 It shimmered.   
   
 “You.” Kiyoko watched as the sphere morphed into something else. “You, are our world…”   
   
  _I… am your planet._  The crystal morphed into a dragon, even larger and more volatile than the physical form Kiyoko had defeated.  _I am what holds up the sky._    
   
 “Unity.”   
   
  _And now you’ve come… come to oppose me, alone. You are but a single bacterium, and I am a legion! I am every element. Every word spoken. Every moment. I am the true face of your existence, of every existence… I…_    
   
 Kiyoko shivered as its words rattled her skull.   
   
  _I am everything. I, am Unity, and you… you are nothing._    
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Yamaguchi ignored Kuroo’s scream as he threw himself into the pillar of shadows, feeling the burn of a thousand years, a thousand suns, as he surged forward, becoming swallowed by something greater than his feeble mortal mind could comprehend.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “You’re not wrong,” Kiyoko murmured. This place had no floor, no ceiling, and yet she had learned how to stand in a realm of shadows, feet firmly planted. “Everything I’ve done… has been done by me alone. I am, alone. Always.”   
   
 Unity glared at her.   
   
 “I have always… been alone.”   
   
  _Accept your defeat… and let me feast upon it!_    
   
 Kiyoko shot it a glare that rivaled its own.   
   
 Unity opened its mouth to snarl.   
   
 “But I am not alone,” Kiyoko whispered. “I was born a street rat… a pathetic mongrel who begged for money… sang songs as a child to get half a day’s worth of bread. I resented this world. I  _hated_  it. I wanted it gone!”   
   
 Unity growled.   
   
 “It was in the black market that I came in contact with Death,” she remembered, “And I became so much more… My mind was sharp, my fears gone, and my stance was strong. I rose to power among the poor, and after a mage-thief I employed failed to murder Her Majesty… I decided to join high society, and meet her myself, so that I may make her beg for mercy… but I found something there. Yes.” Kiyoko closed her eyes. “I found Hitoka… not the Queen, but her true self… and I showed her my true self, and I knew I wasn’t alone!”   
   
  _You are still, here, alone._    
   
 “I stand alone, yes…” Kiyoko’s eyes hardened. “But I am part of something greater! Twelve! A… a simple number. A dozen. A set. In the deck of cards—Queen!”   
   
 Unity moved closer to her, trembling the shadow space.   
   
 “There must be subjects if there is a queen. There must be a history, a palace, a people… A ruler must stand alone on the throne to stand strong! But that doesn’t mean they are isolated!” She pulled out a glowing arrow and knocked it in her bow. She pulled the arrow back.   
   
 Unity  _charged._    
   
 “Twelve, the number of Solidarity. Like the final month of the year, cold and harsh, but covered in little homes full of lights, of festives. I will end the year in my own, but I respect what comes before me! And! What comes  _after_  me!”   
   
 Unity paused just before it struck at Kiyoko, craning its head back.  _No!_    
   
 “Thirteen.”   
   
  _No!_    
   
 Yamaguchi hovered in the space high above, holding his rapier in one hand and resting its blade on the palm of his other. His eyes were closed. “Unlucky Thirteen.” He smiled. “In the deck of cards—” He shot forward, piercing the dragon’s neck in an instant, moving as fast as lightning. “King!”   
   
 Unity howled.   
   
 “That which unites, that which binds and brings people together… Thirteen, the last of the cards. I am… I have always been… Unity.” Yamaguchi’s eyes softened. “The end of everything…” He shook his head. “No, I will be the beginning of everything.”   
   
 Kiyoko’s arrow no longer shone and she stared.   
   
 Yamaguchi pulled out his rapier and hopped off to stand next to Kiyoko.   
   
 The dragon slumped down, hitting the nonexistent floor with a crash.   
   
 “You relied heavily on the others,” Yamaguchi explained as he turned to the dragon. “You relied on your pillars, but… There is greatness in being together, however—”   
   
 “You must be able to stand on your own,” Kiyoko interjected. “Unity—”   
   
 “—and Solidarity.” Yamaguchi smiled. “Together, they are both important.”   
   
 Unity stared at them and gave a small nod. It wasn’t angry anymore, no… it seemed to understand, accept…   
   
 Kiyoko lifted her hands and the resounding force of thunder began to gather in her hands.   
   
 Yamaguchi dismissed his rapier and the crackles of lightning swirled around him.   
   
 “Thunder and Lightning,” Kiyoko whispered, “That’s what they used to call us.”   
   
 “Ah, yeah.” Yamaguchi smiled. “I remember.”   
   
 Unity stared them in the eyes.   
   
 “Twelve.” Kiyoko’s eyes softened. “The number of Solidarity.”   
   
 “Thirteen,” Yamaguchi said with a smile, “The number of Unity.”   
   
 Together, they unleashed a blast of magic.   
   
 Unity didn’t fight it. It let itself be shattered.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The column of shadow burst open.   
   
 Daishou stared up at and hummed. “They’ve awakened… they’ve all awakened now…”   
   
 The sky went from purple and black to a regular baby blue.   
   
 “Now…” Daishou clutched his tome close to his chest. “Now, the world will end. Now… this world will finally end.” 


	13. Unity

 The sky became stagnant, stale. It darkened to black with crackles of vile green light shifting behind the clouds. There was a pulse in the world, a shimmer, and then it stopped—it all stopped. In the Great Tree of Woede, townspeople froze where they were, mouths parted mid-sentence. Their attempts to rebuild the crown were stilled. There were walls of wind that became motionless, becoming blurs in the air that hung where they were.   
   
 For miles, the water stayed where it was, the regular rise and fall of the ocean’s tides frozen like a snapshot. Waves had curled, but hung there, never to fall. The airships that were moving through the skies of Rodzina, transporting resources, went rigid in the sky, as did their crews.   
   
 In Chhal, the streams of sands were still, with desert dust hanging in the sky. The gateways, the magics, of their towers were glowing but unmoving.   
   
 The scholars of Nuru were gathered around their war tables, their measures of Null, trying to explain the calamity that was about to come, but they were too late. They too, halted by a dead world, like a book left unfinished, thousands of pages left empty…   
   
 Everything on the planet… No, the planet itself, was frozen.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Hinata turned around and stared. His eyes were wide. It reminded him of the beast they’d fought in Chhal’s desert, who had frozen time… and yet… it was different. Hinata’s skin prickled. He shivered. He was  _cold._  Everywhere he looked, civilians stood still all around him. He looked left, and right, and—for that frightening second—he wondered if he was truly alone in this world.   
   
 “Hinata.”   
   
 Hinata spun, eyes wide with relief.   
   
 Kageyama hopped off rooftops near him, wearing the same expression.   
   
 “K-Kageyama…” Hinata’s eyes widened. He instinctively took Kageyama’s hand in his. It was warm. Good. “What… what is this…?”   
   
 Kageyama looked around, swallowing hard. “I don’t know…”   
   
 “It’s…” Hinata looked up at the sky, seeing that red eye once again looking down at them. “The world… it’s ending.”   
   
 Kageyama’s eyes shot up. He shivered. “Let’s find the others.”   
   
 “O-Okay.”   
   
 By the time the two of them made it to the palace entrance, they had realised several things. One, everyone in the city was frozen, but they weren’t just frozen in time or petrified to stone—no, Hinata and Kageyama could move  _through_ them. Worse, if they stopped focusing purely on the civilians, it was almost like no one was around them. They’d just… disappeared.   
   
 Hinata and Kageyama were the last to arrive.   
   
 The front entrance of the palace was packed with people, and yet it visually appeared empty—save for twelve people waiting for them.   
   
 “You came,” Kiyoko said in a quiet whisper.   
   
 “Y-Yeah.” Hinata’s run slowed to a walk and then a stop.   
   
 “The Queen…” Kiyoko adjusted her glasses. “Is completely still.”   
   
 “The barracks too.” Yamaguchi nodded. “No one…”   
   
 “Civilians,” Kuroo added. “Everyone.”   
   
 “Mm.” Shirabu hugged his arm with one hand. “No one else saw anything either… and I’m guessing you haven’t?”   
   
 “Nope.” Hinata shook his head. “But why… why are we…?” He took a breath. “Why aren’t we frozen with it?”   
   
 “Only one person would know,” Kageyama murmured. “We’ll have to ask Daishou.”   
   
 “You called?”   
   
 They turned around and fourteen pairs of eyes snapped to Suguru Daishou, who was holding a brown tome. His eyes seemed calm, relaxed, and he stepped forward in a slow stride.   
   
 “Yo.” Tendou stepped forward. “Tell us what’s up!”   
   
 Kenma was giving him an annoyed and expectant look.   
   
 “You have all chosen your paths.” Daishou’s walking became even slower. “You have made every choice that you have made… Yes, you had your superiors, your orders, but even before that—you chose this path. You’ve made your own decisions. For that, I am proud of you.”   
   
 The Fires shifted, becoming tense.   
   
 “You are not my Fires,” Daishou assured, “You are no longer the emotionless tools of war that have no memories. No. Whether you are Ace, Six, Jack, or King—the deck of cards needs every number. You’ve all exceeded my expectations. You’ve claimed what you’ve deemed most important. You’ve reclaimed your lives from the burning doubts inside you… so.”   
   
 Kageyama took a step back.   
   
 Daishou’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t let doubt stop you now.”   
   
 “D-” Hinata stepped forward. “Daishou! The world! It’s all weird and frozen and—”   
   
 “Sakusa,” Daishou murmured as he walked past Hinata. “Sakusa seeks to end this world.”   
   
 Kuroo grunted. “Bastard.”   
   
 “Is it wrong?” Daishou eyed Kuroo before passing him as well. “His goal is the same as mine.”   
   
 Yamaguchi gasped. “You—”   
   
 “Sakusa is close… his actions would very much secure my goal, and my wants… However.” He turned around to face them all. “If you want to save this world—then do it.”   
   
 Kenma’s eyes narrowed.   
   
 Tendou stiffened.   
   
 Kyoutani nodded.   
   
 “You humans… you fight, you overcome, you grow… We on the other hand—” Daishou moved his head, cutting himself off. “Well. You’ll understand soon enough.”   
   
 Shirabu stepped forward. “Why are you so cryptic?”   
   
 Semi glared. “If you could explain it to us…”   
   
 “If I explain, perhaps you will understand… but if you go to Sakusa, then you will understand better, deeper.”   
   
 Hinata stepped forward.   
   
 Daishou raised a hand and it glowed silver as he pressed two fingers to Hinata’s chest.   
   
 Hinata blinked.   
   
 “I trust each of you.” Daishou eyes were soft; and, for once, the Fires felt a glimmer of pure honesty. “You are no longer my experiments, my pets… your decisions are your own. You no longer need to worry about my goals, my wants. This is your world. So go—go and do what you feel is best, once you  _understand.”_    
   
 “Go?” Bokuto blinked. “But… where?”   
   
 Daishou moved his hand away from Hinata’s chest and pointed beyond him.   
   
 Hinata turned.   
   
 Through the open palace doors they could see it—the red eye in the sky.   
   
 “That is…” Kiyoko shivered. “That is not an illusion, or the sun, or—?”   
   
 “Let go of the veil,” Daishou urged. “That is where Sakusa is.” He moved towards it and opened his hands. His tome fell, hitting the floor, and magic wove around Daishou’s body. With a low hum, there was a sudden winding sound, of wood, of metal, of crystals. The materials gathered just outside the doors and began winding, forging, taking shape into—   
   
 Semi’s eyes widened. “The Silver Eagle.”   
   
 “Time is frozen, and space is broken,” Daishou explained. He snapped his fingers, and—   
   
 Light.   
   
 The fifteen of them were transported on the deck.   
   
 Daishou walked towards the edge and turned just when he got to the edge. “This ship cannot be piloted by regular means. It is not just time and space that is broken… but magic, arcana, and the elements as well. The crystals imbued within this gift will guide you where you want it to go. This much, I can do for you.”   
   
 Akaashi shot him a dark look. “Cryptic bastard.”   
   
 “Annoying. Cryptic. Aggravating.” Daishou smirked. “I am definitely all those things, but know this: There is no one I trust more to make the decision than you all. Valentia, Woede, Null, Rodzina, and Chhal… their fates, as they always have, rest in your hands. So.” He lifted off the ground, tome coming back in his hand. “Go!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Semi yelled, “Let’s fly!”   
   
 The ship soared through the sky.   
   
 It would take a while to get to the epicentre of the storm, Hinata knew, but the more he looked around the more he felt unsure about… well, everything. Everyone on the ship was gathered together, saying nothing, heads either down or staring off. Their faces were frowns, scowls, and crestfallen expressions.   
   
 He hated it.   
   
 Hinata stepped forward, raising both his hands to chest level. “Hey!”   
   
 They all looked at him.   
   
 “The world is ending… I know it’s not a great feeling, but…” Hinata swallowed hard. “This is  _our_  world, our  _home._  This world belongs to us – all of us. We’ve gotta protect it!” He lowered his hands slightly. “I know I’m… finally coming to terms with it. But. I really didn’t exist before all of this… I don’t have a past, like each of you do. Whether it’s a life of crime.”   
   
 Kageyama stiffened.   
   
 “Or an elite unit of Valentia.”   
   
 Akaashi blinked, as Bokuto smirked, Kuroo chuckled, and Kenma nodded.   
   
 “Or the right and left hand of Woede.”   
   
 Kyoutani shared a glance with Sugawara.   
   
 “Experiments.”   
   
 Semi lowered his chin, while Tendou perked up.   
   
 “Princes.”   
   
 Shirabu moved hair out of his eyes.   
   
 “Bodyguards.”   
   
 Aone nodded sagely.   
   
 “Or the Queen’s most trusted advisors.”   
   
 Yamaguchi smiled sheepishly, as Kiyoko smiled.   
   
 “We all come from different parts of this world. Our world.” Hinata looked at each of them. “Sakusa has no right to take  _our_  world. Our dreams, our memories—everything about us! He doesn’t get to decide that it’s all just, over! This is ours!”   
   
 The whirring of the crystals hummed.   
   
 Yamaguchi thought about it before laughing. “I mean that’s true…  _we_  never gave him permission to take our stuff.”   
   
 “Yes.” Kiyoko crossed her arms. “We have people to go back to.”   
   
 “And.” Kenma closed his eyes. “Dreams to realise.”   
   
 Aone hummed. “A future, to build…”   
   
 “We’ve forged new paths for ourselves,” Semi said.   
   
 Shirabu nodded firmly. “It is our duty to see those paths through.”   
   
 “And!” Tendou put out two victory signs. “There’s a cute boy I like—h-hey why are you all glaring at me?”   
   
 “Cute boys are enough for me.” Sugawara laughed. “I’ve got one I want to go back to. He’s more of a hunk, but he’s cute too.”   
   
 “W-Well, I’ve got my people.” Bokuto looked around. “But I want more time with them! I want to spend my time on this world with them!”   
   
 “Yeah.” Kuroo grinned. “I want to see how far we can go.”   
   
 “We fought war for a future.” Kyoutani smirked. “We’re  _getting_  that future.”   
   
 “Without a doubt.” Akaashi’s eyes burned. “We won’t let  _anyone_  take that from us.”   
   
 “Shouyou.”   
   
 Hinata sputtered.   
   
 “When I was in prison,” Kageyama murmured, “I had no future. You – you have no past. But if we fight.” Kageyama smiled. “If we win.” His smile turned to a smirk. “This world will be ours again.”   
   
 “Yeah!” Hinata’s hands turned to fists and he shot one in the air. “Let’s give him hell!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The closer they got to the eye, the sooner they saw the cathedral that existed in its epicentre. There was a wide circular ring near the entrance, where they docked the airship. But. Standing opposite of it… Another airship was also there, and it looked like it was docked.   
   
 “That…” Hinata stared at it. “That’s the one…”   
   
 Tendou blinked. “The one…?”   
   
 “Well. Um. When I pulled the Chancellor of Nuru out of a metal airship…” Hinata stared at it. “That’s the one. Except…”   
   
 “Except it was in pieces last time,” Semi murmured.   
   
 Hinata nodded.   
   
 There was a splash of water.   
   
 Bokuto was holding his hand near some globes of water that hung in the air. “They’re fresh.”   
   
 Kuroo blinked. “Like. Freshwater?”   
   
 “No.” Bokuto shook his head. “The magic in the water.”   
   
 “The air too,” Sugawara added. “Kita’s been here.” He shared a look with Bokuto. “It looks like Alisa as well. They just got here.”   
   
 Kageyama stepped towards the doorway, but paused.   
   
 Red and black mist shot up, forming a gateway between the doors.   
   
 “Well.” Yamaguchi laughed. “That’s one kind of invitation…”   
   
 Aone frowned. “Let’s go.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 As they stepped through the gate, the world blurred around them. They existed in a space that was covered in starlight and hovering dusts. Like a cosmos all around them. The walkway was an indistinguishable black metal that felt cool against their boots.   
   
 “Whoa…” Kenma looked around. “Where… are we?”   
   
 “Death.” Hinata shivered. “It’s everywhere… And.” He pointed up at ancient writings. “We had better be careful…”   
   
 There was a beat of silence before Kageyama asked, “Why?”   
   
 Hinata turned around. “Well trials sound pretty hard.”   
   
 “Trials…?”   
   
 “Yeah. The sign, it says…”   
   
 “You…” Kageyama glanced up at the writing. “You can read that?”   
   
 “You can’t?”   
   
 They were silent.   
   
 Hinata’s gaze dropped down.   
   
 Tendou walked over and tapped his head. “Keep your head up, little tangerine. It just means you’re our lucky charm!”   
   
 Hinata perked up.   
   
 Sugawara laughed. “You’re one of us, Shouyou. Nothing else matters.”   
   
 Hinata looked at them all.   
   
 Aone nodded, while Shirabu begrudgingly didn’t deny it. Kiyoko smiled at him, and Yamaguchi grinned. Kenma met his gaze softly and Akaashi put a hand on his shoulder.   
   
 Hinata looked at him.   
   
 “Don’t worry.” Akaashi looked him in the eye. “You have never not been one of us. But, please… lead the way.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “They won’t die!”   
   
 The beings of red and black mist charged at them. No matter how many times they took them out, their bodies would crumple to the floor for a moment before they were recharged. They would rise again and strike once more.   
   
 Kageyama shot his cords into them, spearing several at a time, sweat rolling down his face.   
   
 Kiyoko was frantic as she fired another shot. “It’s endless! And only more are coming!”   
   
 Yamaguchi backed away to dodge one. “We’ve got to find a way.”   
   
 Hinata sliced three apart and looked around. He saw Kyoutani shatter one with his shield. Its body crumpled and the red-black mist seemed to break away from the limbs. Mist…? He opened his hand and a few cords seemed to connect the corpse to his palm. With a single yank, it dispersed—body gone, permanently.   
   
 Kyoutani stared at him, eyes wide.   
   
 “How?” Kageyama glared. “How do you do that?”   
   
 Hinata opened his palm again. “It’s pretty easy, you just…” He yanked again, and another corpse shattered.   
   
 More cords formed, but not from Hinata.   
   
 Kenma held them in his hand, before he yanked.   
   
 Kiyoko did the same.   
   
 “Hm.” Shirabu yanked several at a time. He visibly shuddered from the strange cold then hot then cold feeling, but he looked around. “It seems all of us are compatible with Death…”   
   
 “Their numbers are disappearing,” Kageyama murmured.   
   
 Hinata blinked. “Wait, so I’m not special?”   
   
 Kageyama yanked Death out of a few more corpses.   
   
 “Hey!” Hinata looked at him. “You gave me shit for weeks when I first did it! Now you’re doing it!”   
   
 Kageyama glared. “Shut up! Just help us take them down!”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 The trials continued, but Hinata paused before not one, but two gateways. He read the ancient symbol and bit his lip. “It’s saying divide… to divide in two. To half.” He turned around. “I think we have to split up.”   
   
 “Keep it simple,” Kenma murmured. “One to Seven… Eight to Fourteen.”   
   
 Kuroo pouted. “But then we won’t get Kitten.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Bokuto pouted. “I want Kitten.”   
   
 “Go bother Owlet.”   
   
 “Please,” Akaashi whispered with cheeks red. “Now is not the time for this… Let’s just do as Kenma says.”   
   
 “Okay.” Shirabu stepped forward. “My group is taking this side.” He walked through the portal and was followed by Semi, who gave a nod to Suga, and then Aone, Kenma, Kiyoko, and Yamaguchi. Hinata also went through, giving Kageyama a wave goodbye before running through.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Kageyama ended up leading the team he was on. They walked through strange cathedral hallways until a bright green light shone from one of the corners. They approached with caution, and their eyes widened.   
   
 Kyoutani and Sugawara both stepped forward.   
   
 The Chancellor of Wind, Kita Shinsuke, was frozen in a green crystal. He had a still expression of absolute fear.   
   
 Kuroo examined it and bit his lip. “His heart isn’t beating…”   
   
 “But his magic,” Bokuto murmured quietly.   
   
 “Magic is being siphoned…” Tendou’s eyes softened. “He’s being kept alive, just enough… a form of torture…”   
   
 “If we could free him it would aid us,” Akaashi said, “But doing so… we may kill him if we get it wrong.”   
   
 “So.” Kageyama took a deep breath. “Do we leave him here…?”   
   
 Kuroo bit his lip. “Unless we can safely remove him…”   
   
 Tendou said nothing, clearly worrying about Alisa…   
   
 Akaashi took a deep breath. “We leave him here.”   
   
 “Sakusa…” Kyoutani had a deep frown as he growled. “I’ll tear his throat out!”   
   
 Sugawara’s expression was completely blank. “Not if I do it first.”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Alisa!” Shirabu lost all composure and began running. “Ally!”   
   
 Semi was quick to follow, as they were all quick to surmise what was happening.   
   
 “Sakusa…” Aone whispered, “Cruel… He was not always like this.”   
   
 Tree roots and thorns had pierced Alisa in several places, and she hung, unresponsive, from wretched and twisted tree branches of wood that burst through the cathedral floors.   
   
 “Regardless of who he used to be,” Kiyoko interjected, “We cannot allow him to reign this world.”   
   
 Kenma looked away. “But how can we stop someone who can do this…? If he is strong enough to kill chancellors… fighting him is certain defeat.”   
   
 “Maybe.” Yamaguchi stared at Alisa. “But if we work together… we can do this.”   
   
 “It’s too late for her…” Hinata had tears in his eyes. “She’s almost dead.”   
   
 Shirabu dropped to the floor, head down.   
   
 Semi closed his eyes, looking away.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sakusa waited. His right hand was tapping on his armrest. He was now at the throne, at the centre – at everything. Rivers of blood converged and twisted all around him – the planet’s blood. Sakusa was bored as he waited, patiently waiting, tapping and tapping to keep himself entertained.   
   
 How long had it been…?   
   
 How long had it been, since…?   
   
 Sakusa looked at the circular platform that stood beneath him. He remembered it very well, and it hadn’t changed in the thousands of years since he’d last seen it. But, last time, he hadn’t seen it from this point of view.   
   
 His throne was made of molten rock, pure black in colour, with gold lining and a red back. Sakusa sat atop the floating throne, only a dozen feet above the circular platform. And all around him, in the sky above, below, in the cosmos… the rivers of blood, the planet’s blood, swirled and converged.   
   
 It was only a matter of time, now.   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 “Hey!” It seemed a single person was left in the city of Valentia. “Hey! You! Someone! Why isn’t anyone moving!?”   
   
 The world stood still.   
   
 But Terushima ran through the streets, trying to find someone, anyone.   
   
 “Help!” Terushima’s breathing became erratic. “Why…? Why!?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Watching from the rooftops of a building, Daishou watched Terushima flounder in the streets below. It didn’t matter to him, though. He turned away and decided, simply, to go the opposite direction of that annoying noise the man was making. “The last token has fallen onto the board… but where?”   
   
   
 ~ ~ ~   
   
   
 Sakusa could hear their conversations; and, yes, a part of him felt a pang of guilt when the two teams discussed what had happened to Alisa and Kita. But Sakusa couldn’t deny that it had to be done: They came here to defy him, and Sakusa had to stand his ground. Sakusa waited, until at last…   
   
 At last…   
   
 “So.” Sakusa looked at the platform below. “You’ve come.”   
   
 They blurred into existence on this platform. It was wide enough to fit ten times as many people, and yet the presence of these… fourteen, seemed to make it seem full.   
   
 It was Hinata who stepped forward first. “Sakusa—”   
   
 “Save your words.” Sakusa rested his head on his hand. “I know your conviction… I know why you are doing this. You have every right to try and stop my plans.”   
   
 They stared for a long moment.   
   
 “Then…” Kageyama’s eyes were desperate. “Why?”   
   
 “I understand why you want to destroy me… as I have once stood exactly where you do. Once.” He raised his hand. “Upon.” He pinched his thumb and middle finger together. “A time.” He snapped his fingers.   
   
 Light blurred all existence.   
   
  _Thousands of years ago…_    
   
 “I suppose…” Kita looked to them. They stood on the circular platform. “This is our only option. Yes?”   
   
 “This is our world,” Sakusa said firmly. “She will pay for taking that from us.”   
   
 “Yes.” Alisa nodded. “It is not her right to decide the fate of all existence… It is not right for one person alone to decide that… But, are we… ready?”   
   
 “Of course.” Daishou held his tome close. “There is no one I trust more than you three. It is time we mortals are no longer led by some ageless beings. We’ve defeated the six chancellors, and only one remains.”   
   
 Kita nodded. “And then…”   
   
 “We will reforge this world,” Alisa said firmly, “As ours.”   
   
  _Light blurred all existence._    
   
 Sakusa again sat on the throne. “Now you know… we defeated the Chancellors and took their place. We took reign of the crystals, of the World’s Heart. We became gods… only to have mortals rise up against us once more.”   
   
 “No.” Shirabu shook his head. “Not quite… We’re not going after all the Chancellors or killing them. Just you.”   
   
 Sakusa gave an amused smile. “Perhaps… but it doesn’t matter. The pillars that hold this planet together are broken. This world… all of existence… it will fade. This world is dying, as it was when I became Chancellor long ago. I will reforge it myself, alone! I will rely on no other! Kita? Alisa? Daishou?  _No._  Four crystals? No longer… just one. I will be all that I can be. I will control everything.”   
   
 “Hey!” Hinata summoned his scythe. “This is our world too!”   
   
 “You!?” Sakusa growled. “Who even are you? No identity, no trace! You are no one and nothing! The only way to defeat a Chancellor is to have his blessing, and I have never given you mine!”   
   
 Kyoutani glared.   
   
 Sakusa knew he was piecing it together – he had heard Kyoutani had struck Kita and drawn blood when Terushima was pulled out. Only now Kyoutani was understanding how and why.   
   
 “Sakusa,” Aone growled.   
   
 “I will be everything. I will be all of existence. And you!” He kicked off his throne and hovered slowly downwards. He summoned his scythe and the air began to shake. The rivers of blood all around them began to break away. “You are nothing. You are no one!”   
   
 “I don’t care!” Hinata’s eyes never left him. “It’s still our world!”   
   
 “The world we fought for,” Sugawara hissed.   
   
 “A world we made homes in,” Akaashi went on, “Places… we found places we can come back to! All over this beautiful world!”   
   
 Sakusa landed on the platform gently; and, yet, his sheer presence made all of them fall to his knees. “I am a god!” He swung his scythe once. “You cannot defy me!”   
   
 “H-How?” Akaashi winced. “You never held this much power before…”   
   
 “Why else?” Sakusa smirked. “You gave this power to me.”   
   
 Akaashi blinked.   
   
 “Each beast you destroyed, each crystal I shattered… the pillars of planet. Every time you defeated one, I absorbed the energy. Each strike made them stronger, until I could take that power. When you defeated Unity, my abilities became one. You cannot win. This is a sheer fact.” His eyes softened. “Still, you fight…? Still you wish to win…? You do not understand. Allow me to explain it: Even if you were to defeat me—you would be destroying the pillars. Defeating me would be to destroy the world!”   
   
 “But!” Tendou summoned his blades and held them up. “To create is to destroy, to destroy is to create…”   
   
 “You do not have the crystals to create another world!”   
   
 “But…” Bokuto brought out his two handed sword. “You’re not listening… We don’t want another world!  _This_  is our world!”   
   
 “That’s right.” Shirabu whipped his blade. “Our dreams. Our hopes. Everything we have built, every time we’ve cried, laughed, or smiled, has happened all on this world!”   
   
 “It would have been for nothing,” Aone murmured, “Everything has led us to this. This moment.”   
   
 “If you took away this world from us.” Yamaguchi called his rapier. “We’ll take it right back. Together.”   
   
 “Yeah.” Kyoutani readied his sword and shield. “I’ve always been protective of what’s mine, Sakusa, and you’re starting to piss me off.”   
   
 “Protective?” Kuroo smirked as he cocked his firearm. “That’s a good way to put it. I’ve got too many people relying on me to back away now!”   
   
 “I don’t know if we can win,” Sugawara admitted, “But I’m sure as hell going to try.”   
   
 “I don’t know if we can win either,” Semi said with a smile. “But I will follow my friends into battle. We’re a team.”   
   
 Kiyoko drew an arrow. “Our individual strengths make us strong, and we multiply that by our teamwork. You are just one, Sakusa.”   
   
 “Can’t get us down.” Tendou grinned. “There’s always a chance. Always a way we can rise, make hope for ourselves.”   
   
 “Hm.” Kenma seemed amused. “Your chances aren’t as great as they thought, huh…?”   
   
 “All of us.” Akaashi nodded. “We’re fighting together.”   
   
 Hinata looked at Kageyama.   
   
 Kageyama nodded. “This is our world.” His eyes drifted to Sakusa. “This is our home. We have nothing more to say than that.”   
   
 “Yeah, so!” Hinata swung his scythe in the air once before dropping into a stance. “If you want our world—come get it!”   
   
 Sakusa gripped his blade and his face distorted into an impossible scowl. He took in a breath of air and  _screamed_  a psychic blast that sent lines racing through the platform, and burst the rivers of blood above and beyond. He flew forward into the storm.   
   
 Bokuto and Kyoutani charged to meet him, but one swing of his scythe sent both of them flying back.   
   
 Hinata dove down and went scythe against scythe.   
   
 Sakusa blasted him away.   
   
 Hope faltered.   
   
 Shirabu and Kiyoko sent spells from a distance. Sakusa swiped his scythe to deflect them. Daggers and knives were shot from wind and acid, but Sakusa disappeared and struck at Semi from behind.   
   
 Semi looked over his shoulder just in time as—   
   
 “This is familiar!” Sakusa’s scythe tore into Semi’s back. “But this death will be  _permanent.”_    
   
 Semi’s back burst open with blood and his eyes went lifeless as he crashed on the pillar.   
   
 The rest of the Fires stood, watching him in shock.   
   
 Dead.   
   
 Sakusa swirled his scythe overhead. “One down… thirteen to go.”   
   
 Sugawara’s jaw was trembling, while Shirabu looked like he was filled with rage.   
   
 Sakusa disappeared again and attempted to strike at Kenma, but Kenma moved away just in time.   
   
 Kuroo aimed a shot from across the platform.   
   
 Sakusa twisted his body to dodge it. His free hand formed a bolt of red and black and Death whipped out.   
   
 Akaashi was thrusting his spear at Sakusa when he saw it. “Kuroo!”   
   
 Kuroo had a hole burst through him. His firearm fell to the floor and he fell back.   
   
 Dead.   
   
 Bokuto yelled, “Akaaaashi!”   
   
 Akaashi spun, face to face with Sakusa.   
   
 Dead.   
   
 “Three down.” Sakusa struck fast. “Eleven to go.”   
   
 Kyoutani lunged from behind.   
   
 Sakusa snapped his finger.   
   
 A spike of death shot up from the floor, impaling Kyoutani and tossing his body aside. Dead.   
   
 Sugawara threw himself forward in a fast charge.   
   
 Sakusa spun and grabbed Sugawara’s hair. With a force that rattled the platform, Sakusa shot a bolt into Suga’s skull and let his body fall.   
   
 Dead.   
   
 Bokuto charged, yelling, and Aone did the same.   
   
 Sakusa was ready to take them both out, but noticed Kenma moving from the side. He waited, patiently waited, until the moment was just right. He grabbed his scythe with both hands and focused. In a flash, he swirled in a perfect circle, lining a red ring of Death all around him.   
   
 Three dead.   
   
 No.   
   
 Kenma fell on his back, while Bokuto fell on his side, but Aone had gotten away.   
   
 “Seven down.” Sakusa glanced at Yamaguchi. “Seven to go.”   
   
 Yamaguchi was standing several paces away, rapier in hand. His limbs were shaking.   
   
 Sakusa charged.   
   
 Yamaguchi managed to parry a few times before cords of Null struck Sakusa from the side.   
   
 Sakusa released a wave of Death to disrupt the cords and he glared at Kageyama. He disappeared again and struck hard, tearing at the back of Kageyama’s neck.   
   
 Hinata screamed, “No!”   
   
 Dead.   
   
 Aone released a wall of sand at him.   
   
 Sakusa countered with a wave of force that broke the sand and caused Aone to cry out. Dead.   
   
 Tendou blurred from above, going for a perfect strike.   
   
 Sakusa struck not at Tendou, but at his weapons, shattering them and slicing Tendou’s stomach open in the process.   
   
 Tendou coughed blood and murmured a, “Sorry…” before he closed his eyes.   
   
 Dead.   
   
 “Damn you!” Yamaguchi charged.   
   
 Sakusa held up a hand and unleashed a bolt.   
   
 Yamaguchi choked. Dead.   
   
 Kiyoko pounded him with thunder.   
   
 Sakusa appeared behind her and struck. Dead.   
   
 Hinata looked at him, in horror.   
   
 “Thirteen down.” Sakusa stepped forward, scythe dripping with blood. “One to go.”   
   
 Hinata took a step back, shaking.   
   
 “I know how troublesome you are.” Sakusa glared. “When I killed number Nine before, you revived him. I bet you feel invincible, knowing you can bring your comrades back. So… to ensure their defeat, forever…”   
   
 Hinata glared. He took his stance and yelled, “Come get m—”   
   
 Dead.   
   
 Sakusa struck hard and fast, passing Hinata in the process.   
   
 A wave of blood burst from Hinata’s body before it hit the ground.   
   
 There was silence now.   
   
 Sakusa sighed.   
   
 Silence.   
   
 “You… have failed.” Sakusa stood alone, surrounded by fourteen corpses. “You have  _all_  failed.” 


End file.
